The Cult of Khrushchev Flashcards
When does Khrushchev condemn Stalin’s Cult?
Criticising it for GLORIFYING LEADER (monstrously) at expense of role played by PEOPLE
1956 Secret Speech
Why might it have been politically useful for Khrushchev to condemn Stalin’s Cult?
He can push his policy of de-stalinisation
Why might it be useful for Khrushchev to develop his own cult?
Seen as MORE IMPORTANT LEADER when power was originally SHARED with Malenkov after 1953
Why did a Cult of Personality suit Khrushchev’s style of leadership?
He PERSONALLY MET soviet citizens on a much greater scale than Stalin:
eg. PHOTOS with peasant on collective farms
This developed into ADULATION: articles, books, posters
Who did Khrushchev appoint as EDITOR of IZVESTIYA?
What impact did this have on his publicity?
His son-in-law, Alexei Adzhubei
It increased
The Cult emphasised what side of Khrushchev’s personality?
The egotistical
What happened to the tone of propaganda (via radio, cinema, tv) used for self publicity as Khrushchev’s policy failures mounted?
Became more desperate
Khrushchev’s Cult of Personality was NEVER on the scale of Stalin’s
BUT….
It was evident enough to be one of the REASONS for his DISMISSAL, 1964
What did Khrushchev do to the Cult of Lenin?
Revived it BUT part of move away from Stalinism so rediscovered it
1) Change:
-1930s, stressed Lenin’s death
-1950s: “Lenin Lives!”
2) Lenin depicted as FUN, APPROACHABLE, HUMANE. A lover of children, family and simple lives.
»»
Resembled Khrushchev himself
3) Lenin’s revolution, not Stalin’s terror, founded soviet government.
The slogan that formed the basis of Khrushchev’s Cult of Lenin?
“Lenin Lives!”
How was Lenin presented under Khrushchev?
Fun, approachable, humane, loved children & family ————> like Khrushchev himself
The Cult of Lenin was used to move away from Stalinism by rediscovering Leninism.
Khrushchev wanted to remind the people that the government was founded on Lenin’s revolution, rather than
Stalin’s terror
By what year did Khrushchev have a personality cult of his own?
1958
KHRUSHCHEV ACCORDING TO HIS CULT: a ________, competing the journey he started
Disciple of Lenin
KHRUSHCHEV ACCORDING TO HIS CULT:
Responsible for NEW SUCCESSES, such as
The Soviet space programme
Rising harvests in the Virgin Lands
KHRUSHCHEV ACCORDING TO HIS CULT:
a __________ who negotiated with the US President as __________.
respected statesman
an equal
KHRUSHCHEV ACCORDING TO HIS CULT:
A hero of __________
The Second World War
KHRUSHCHEV ACCORDING TO HIS CULT:
An authority on ___________________
Literature Art Science Industry Agriculture
KHRUSHCHEV ACCORDING TO HIS CULT:
The great _______ who was _______ the Soviet system.
Reformer
Perfecting
Why did the Khrushchev Cult actually become more problematic during the 1960s?
By associating himself so strongly with the success of the Virgin Lands Scheme,
He was damaged by its failure.
Why did Khrushchev’s claim to expertise become less credible?
(60s problematic)
The disastrous results of his Corn Campaign.
What led to a collapse in confidence in Khrushchev’s fitness to govern?
(International relations - 60s problematic)
Embarrassing foreign policy climb-downs
Failure to deliver on wildly optimistic promises about out producing the USA
