Krushchev key debates

Question 1

Key debate 1

Answer 1

how far did de-stalinisation represent a genuine break from the past?

Question 2

Key debate 1, yes it did

Answer 2

represented a huge change from terror and cult personality of stalinisation.
-no secret police, reformed to focus no so heavily on arrests of opponants but international matters
-stalingrad renamed volgograd]
-millions released from gulags (11,000 remained by 1960)

censorship relaxed hugeley
-65,000 bookes per year by late 1950s, double that of 1920s
-1959, 135,000 libraries and 8000 million books, 10 fold increase of 1913
-criticism to regime could be published

-less centralised control of economy

Question 3

Key debate 1, No it wasnt

Answer 3

-still 11,000 in gulags
-repression: hungarian uprising 1956, 26 killed in massacre
-criticism of novels and books still

-religious repression
-8,000 fewer churches by 1964
-atheism taught in school
-children removed from religious families
-Priests arrested, monastries closed

Question 4

Key debate 2

Answer 4

To what extent were economic and social reforms under khrushchev a failure

Question 5

key debate 2, yes they failed

Answer 5

VIRGIN LAND CAMPAIGN
-lack of fertilisers, only 1/6 of maize cultivated
-wind erosion, 13,000 square metres of land had top soil removed 1960
-1963 began importing food again
-state paid less than should have for produce, riots began

-houses cheap, poorly built
-USSR still behind western countries
-1966
Car ownership: USA: 398-1000, USSR: 5-1000
Washing machine: USA: 259-1000
USSR: 77-1000

Question 6

Key debate 2, no they succeeded

Answer 6

-Short term improvements of virgin land scheme clear
-1954: 81 mil tonnes grain
-1958: 144 million tonnes grain

USSR won space race:
1957: first satelite
1961: first man
1963: first woman

Standard of living:
-minimum wage: 1956
-7 hour day
-1956-1965 108 million moved into new apartments
-1968, 50% households had tension

Question 7

Debate 3

Answer 7

-‘corageous failure’ how valid is this assessment of Khrushchev’s policy towards minorties, satelite states and asia?

Question 8

debate three, yes a corageous failure

Answer 8

-hungarian uprising caused through secret speech and appointment of Nagy, though doing something good
-27,000 killed

-appeased tito which signalled to other european states that they could also have freedom, leading to collapse of soviet union 1991

-german question, ended up having to build berlin wall

-china,Favoured US, meaning china wouldnt help them with nuclear weapons

Question 9

Debate three, there was success

Answer 9

-Hungarian uprising gained support from Tito and Mao and other satellite states

Question 10

key Debate 4