Summary OCR A-Level History, Russia and Its Rulers - Depth Study - Khrushchev in Power
24 views 0 purchase
Course
Russia and Its Rulers
Institution
OCR
OCR A-Level History, Russia and Its Rulers - Depth Study - Khrushchev in Power, including Khrushchev's government, de-stalinisation, repression and enforcement, economic and social policies, foreign policy, Khrushchev's fall
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
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller anish24shah. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $13.53. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
