The Rise of Khrushchev and the De-Stalinisation Process

Question 1

Who made up the Triumvirate Leadership after Stalin 1953–55

Answer 1

• Beria
• Malenkov
• Khrushchev

Question 2

What were the Key Accusations against Stalinism made in Khrushchev’s Secret Speech?

Answer 2

• Stalin’s Style of Leadership.
• The value of the ‘Cult of Personality’.
• Denouncement of the terror and the purges.
• That Stalin was a monstrous individual who had sent thousands to their deaths
• That Stalin had broken the Leninist traditions in leadership and policy.
• Beria was denounced.

Question 3

What were key accusations Regarding Leadership in the Secret Speech?

Answer 3

• The ‘cult of the personality’ was the source of a exceedingly serious and grave perversions of Party principles
• Stalin’s characteristics transformed leadership into a grave abuse of power which caused untold harm
• Stalin acted by imposing his concepts and demanding absolute submission to his opinion.

Question 4

What were the key Accusations Regarding Terror and Purges in the ‘Secret Speech’ ?

Answer 4

• Stalin deviated from the clear and plain principles of Lenin.
• All cases of the so-called ‘spies’ and ‘saboteurs’ were fabricated
• Confessions of guilt were obtained through cruel and inhuman tortures.
• Mass arrests of Party workers caused tremendous harm to the country and cause
• Everything was decided by him alone without any consideration for anyone or anything.

Question 5

What was Purposefully Overlooked in the Secret Speech?

Answer 5

• The continuities between Leninism and Stalinism
• The responsibility of all the ‘yes men’ – including Khrushchev.
• Nothing was said about the terror during the Civil War and the first FYP.
• Nothing was said about the man-made famine of 1932–3 caused by collectivisation.
• No mention of non-Party victims of the purges.

Question 6

What were the Key Aspects of the De-Stalinisation Process?

Answer 6

• Name of Stalingrad changed to Volgograd in 1961.