Khrushchev in Power 1956 – 1964
Khrushchev’s Government
Point Information
• Council of Ministers – senior politicians who drafter domestic policies
• Central Committee – chief decision-making group of the communist party
Structure of
• Presidium (Politburo) – small group of ministers
Government
• Supreme Soviet of the USSR – main law-making body in the Soviet
government
• Malenkov – chairman of Council of Ministers, Head of Government (PM), 1st
Khrushchev’s Secretary of the Party
Rivals • Beria – minister of internal affairs (MVD)
• Voroshilov – president of the USSR
• Beria – fear of Duolopy (with Malenkov)
• Malenkov’s Party Secretary position given to Khrushchev in 1953 (due to
Getting rid of
closeness with Beria) – Beria denounced at Kremlin and arrested – 5-day secret
Beria
trial, Beria and 6 colleagues shot
• Political prisoners released
• Malenkov isolated due to closeness with Beria
• Khrushchev uses PS position to assert influence of administration and
supporters in key positions
Malenkov’s • VLS – agricultural plan to isolate Malenkov who did not support
Resignation • Compelled to resign as PM because his politics had antagonised others – he
wanted to focus on heavy industry
• Bulganin made PM 1955 – 58
• Collective Leadership – no one man rules the government
• Malenkov, Molotov, Kaganovich
• After trip to Finland in 1957, Khrushchev attacked in Politburo meeting – in the
minority
• Insisted 11-member Politburo have no right to decide his future – this is for
Central Committee to decide
Anti-Party
• Notion of Collective Leadership
Group
• Assisted by Zhukov managed to sway the CC and opponents outvoted –
labelled anti-party group – expelled
• Bulganin accused of supporting and dismissed
• Molotov in Mongolia
• Bloodless Coup
79
, De-Stalinisation
Point Information
• Collective leadership – moving away from a one-person dictatorship
• Condemning excesses of Stalin’s rule – purges, terror
• Attacked his handling of WWII and his role in this
Key
• Release of political prisoners, relaxation of censorship
Features
• Aim – move away from Stalin and his reputation – distanced himself from
opponents such as Kaganovich, Molotov, Malenkov – attacked them in Secret
Speech 1956
• On the Cult of Personality, its consequences
Secret • Criticised Stalin’s policies, leadership, and purges of Russia
Speech • Read Lenin’s last letters criticising Stalin - never accepted as a leader
1956 • Exposed crimes e.g. gulags
• Blamed Stalin for Kirov’s death
• Khrushchev developed a government that was more answerable to the party –
Arguments moving away from centralisation under Stalin
for a • Made communist party more accountable for the people
genuine • Reformed bureaucracy – appeared less corrupt, more effective in dealing with
break from wants and needs of population – e.g. regional economic councils
Stalin • Made relations with West more cordial
• Better relationships with the poor – little unrest
Arguments
against a • Only changed certain aspects of the political system and not the system itself
genuine • Adhered to centralised planning of the economy e.g. 7-year plans
break from • Khrushchev still used force to face unrest e.g. Hungarian Uprising
Stalin
80
Khrushchev’s Government
Point Information
• Council of Ministers – senior politicians who drafter domestic policies
• Central Committee – chief decision-making group of the communist party
Structure of
• Presidium (Politburo) – small group of ministers
Government
• Supreme Soviet of the USSR – main law-making body in the Soviet
government
• Malenkov – chairman of Council of Ministers, Head of Government (PM), 1st
Khrushchev’s Secretary of the Party
Rivals • Beria – minister of internal affairs (MVD)
• Voroshilov – president of the USSR
• Beria – fear of Duolopy (with Malenkov)
• Malenkov’s Party Secretary position given to Khrushchev in 1953 (due to
Getting rid of
closeness with Beria) – Beria denounced at Kremlin and arrested – 5-day secret
Beria
trial, Beria and 6 colleagues shot
• Political prisoners released
• Malenkov isolated due to closeness with Beria
• Khrushchev uses PS position to assert influence of administration and
supporters in key positions
Malenkov’s • VLS – agricultural plan to isolate Malenkov who did not support
Resignation • Compelled to resign as PM because his politics had antagonised others – he
wanted to focus on heavy industry
• Bulganin made PM 1955 – 58
• Collective Leadership – no one man rules the government
• Malenkov, Molotov, Kaganovich
• After trip to Finland in 1957, Khrushchev attacked in Politburo meeting – in the
minority
• Insisted 11-member Politburo have no right to decide his future – this is for
Central Committee to decide
Anti-Party
• Notion of Collective Leadership
Group
• Assisted by Zhukov managed to sway the CC and opponents outvoted –
labelled anti-party group – expelled
• Bulganin accused of supporting and dismissed
• Molotov in Mongolia
• Bloodless Coup
79
, De-Stalinisation
Point Information
• Collective leadership – moving away from a one-person dictatorship
• Condemning excesses of Stalin’s rule – purges, terror
• Attacked his handling of WWII and his role in this
Key
• Release of political prisoners, relaxation of censorship
Features
• Aim – move away from Stalin and his reputation – distanced himself from
opponents such as Kaganovich, Molotov, Malenkov – attacked them in Secret
Speech 1956
• On the Cult of Personality, its consequences
Secret • Criticised Stalin’s policies, leadership, and purges of Russia
Speech • Read Lenin’s last letters criticising Stalin - never accepted as a leader
1956 • Exposed crimes e.g. gulags
• Blamed Stalin for Kirov’s death
• Khrushchev developed a government that was more answerable to the party –
Arguments moving away from centralisation under Stalin
for a • Made communist party more accountable for the people
genuine • Reformed bureaucracy – appeared less corrupt, more effective in dealing with
break from wants and needs of population – e.g. regional economic councils
Stalin • Made relations with West more cordial
• Better relationships with the poor – little unrest
Arguments
against a • Only changed certain aspects of the political system and not the system itself
genuine • Adhered to centralised planning of the economy e.g. 7-year plans
break from • Khrushchev still used force to face unrest e.g. Hungarian Uprising
Stalin
80
