rise to power

• main rivals:

  • Malenkov
  • Beria
  • Khrushchev
• by 1956 1/3 of new members owed Khrushchev some debt of gratitude for their position, he replaced officials at regional level
• Those accused in the Doctor's plot were released which undermined Beria
• Beria and 6 associates were tried and shot
• In economy, Malenkov wanted emphasis on consumer products with more relationships with west; Khrushchev wanted to focus on agriculture and 'virgin lands'
• Malenkov forced to resign Feb 1955, replaced by associate of K, Bulganin. K was dominant figure
• 1918 joined Russian communist party
• 1942 joins red army
• 1944-6 chairs national government as chairman of the council of people's commissars
• 1951 proposes creation of agro-towns in countryside
• Stalin's death gave rise to public grief
• after Stalin's death, certain elements of his regime was under attack within a few days
• over one million released from prison camps
• between 1953-55 over 100,000 prisoners released from prison camps as a result of appeals against illegal convictions
• Stalin never named a successor
• execution of 30 NKVD men between 1953-6 ensured control of the party on secret police
• Malenkov's misjudgements came in backing anti-party group
• between 1954-6 young party members and members of Komsomol helped bring 36 million hectares of land, equivalent to Canada under cultivation
• 300,000 people emigrated in 1954-6
• grain harvest in 1956 stood at 125 million tons compared to 82.5 in 1953
• K secret speech Feb 1956 accused Stalin of ruthless political purges
• K's secret speech was criticised as could have caused resentment and many of the party were still Stalinists so very risky
• in his secret speech he said:

  • 70% of seventh congress shot
  • of 1966 delegates, 1108 were shot
• someone shouted 'where were you when these crimes were committed' in his secret speech, K shouted 'we were scared'
• Stalingrad renamed Volograd
• 22nd congress decided that Stalin's body should be removed from Lenin's mausoleum, removed by soldiers and filled with concrete
• orthodox churches attacked and demolished, 7500 left