Krushchev - Politics

Question 1

Last actions of stalin + death

Answer 1

-called a party congress oct 1952, requested to resign
-krushchev abolished orgburo, replaced politburo with a larger presidium
-died march 1953, public displays of grief

Question 2

Immediate events after stalin’s death

Answer 2

-march 1953, malenkov combined roles of party secretary and chair of council of ministers
-krushchev took malenkovs party post, appointed proteges
-beria released political prisoners, denounced mingrelian purge

Question 3

The downfall of beria

Answer 3

-malenkov and other presidium members arranged beria’s arrest june 1953
-accused of anti-party and anti-state activities
-tried and executed 24th december 1953

Question 4

Krushchev’s rise to power

Answer 4

-offered policy proposals, virgin lands scheme 1954
-malenkov stepped down as chair, replaced by bulganin
-krushchev and bulganin joint leaders till 1958
-attempt to unseat krushchev 1957, majority in presidium but brought to central committee and krushchev won

Question 5

Dismissal of party opposition

Answer 5

-malenkov, molotov, kaganovich expelled from central committee
-krushchev still paranoid, oct 1957 zhukov dismissed
-march 1958 bulganin forced to step down
-krushchev becomes general secretary

Question 6

Beginning of de-stalinisation

Answer 6

-june 1955, announced first party congress since stalins death
-those accused in doctors plot released
-beria, police, gulags all attacked

Question 7

Secret speech

Answer 7

-closed session of 1400 delegates, no questions asked
-krushchev attacked stalin, blaming him for terror, torture, mass arrest, executions and the gulags
-speech met by applause, copies sent to foreign parties and the party ranks in the ussr

Question 8

Krushchevs goals for the party

Answer 8

-democratisation and decentralisation
-1962, party split into urban and rural sections
-membership expanded from 7m (1956) to 11m (1964)