Khrushchev

• What were the problems when stalin died (4) - Creation of a power vacuum as stalin had created a cult of personality and centralised too much power, leading to a power contest - Poor living and working conditions as the harsh 1940 labour laws remained in place, abseentism remained illegal as well as changing jobs without consent - Economy was falling behind the west, stalins gargantuan projects were not economically viable, agricultural productivity was low - Repression had outlived its usefulness, with over 6 million people in gulags
• What were khrushchevs aims - Develop economic plans - Develop social plans
• Describe khrushchevs economic plans in terms of khrushchevs aims (2) - Khrushchevs industrial seven year plan underwent the decentralisation of power within the industry, breaking moscow ministry and created 105 economic zones, leading to issues being dealt with more effectively at a local scale - For agriculture, khrushchev lowered taxes and reduced state procurement quotas to give peasants more access to grain to sell, he also increased production by merging collective farms and connecting these to the power grid, known as agro towns
• Describe Khrushchevs social plans in terms of khrushchevs aims (2) - Aimed to improve russians living standards and revive the leninist mood of the 1920's - The New party programme stated communist party would no longer be a dictatorship and USSR would create communism by 1980 and no housing shortages by 1970
• Provide some evidence that destalinisation was a break from the past (4) - Khrushchevs secret speech at the 20th party congress in 1956 - Socialist legality - Reforms to the communist party - Repression
• Provide some evidence destalinisation was not a break from the past - Khrushchevs secret speech - Socialist legality - Reforms to the communist party - Repression
• Describe Khrushchevs secret speech at the 20th party congress in 1956 in terms of why destalinisation was a break from the past (3) - Denounced stalins cult of personality, claiming it was Lenins testament which he told his wife, Krupskaya before his death calling for the removal of Stalin - Denounced stalins terror, blaming him for unjustified killing of party members, 98 out of 134 members of central committee had been shot - He criticised stalins leader ship at war claiming it was incompetent and distant
• Describe Khrushchevs secret speech in 1956 and its intentions (4) - Held at the 20th party congress and titled 'on the cult of personality and its consequences' - Khruschev was plagued with guilt and believed to restore party unity he had to be truthful and wanted to liberate party officials from fear and repression - Khrushchev was afraid that avoiding stalins crimes would lead to more of a radical debate resulting in infighting and purges - He intended to build support from those who supported leninist renewal, consolidating his own power as anyone who criticised him could be accused as advo...
• Describe socialist legality in terms of why destalinisation was a break from the past (2) - New Criminal code on 1958 - secret police could no longer conduct trials and convictions without evidence - officials could now be prosecuted if they closed their eyes to malpractise - Political culture at the top of the party changed, the last murder of political opponent was Beria's execution in 1953, for example the anti-party groups attempted coup in 1957 resulted in malenkov being demoted to manager of an electric power station
• Describe the reforms to the communist party in terms of why destalinisation was a break from the past (5) - More frequent party congresses, 20th in 1956, 21st discussed the 7 year plan, 22nd saw khruschevs declaration to build communism over next 20 years - He limited how long people could stay in office to ensure bureaucracy could not return to stalinist form, led to a turnover of 1/3 of all party bosses stopping unpopular ministers retaining power - New party Programme of 1961 - Campaign aimed to increase party membership from 7 million in 1956 to 11 million in 1964
• Describe the New party programme of 1961 with regards to socialist legality in terms of why destalinisation was a break from the past (2) - Aimed to build communism over the next 20 years, the party was too become accountable to the people - Claimed that in 1970 there would be no housing shortages in the USSR, and by 1980 real income per head will have increased by more than 250%
• Describe repression in terms of why destalinisation was a break from the past (2) - The Khrushchev thaw saw liberalisation of censorship laws, 65,000 books published annually by late 50's twice that of the 20s, Alexander Solzhenitsyn was allowed to publish one day in the life of Ivan denisovitch, describing the brutalities of stalins gulags - 7-8 million gulag prisoners released
• Describe Khrushchev's secret speech in terms of why destalinisation was not a break from the past (3) - Khruschev did not criticise any of stalins pre 1934 repression as he was heavily involved in the likes of NKVD order 00447 the policy of dekulakisation - Khrushchev did not criticise collectivisation or referense the brutality in enforcing the policy, demonstrating his intentions to continue the policy - Khrushchev avoided criticising the system, only stalin personally, hence absolving himself whilst being able to justify the continuation of some policies
• Describe socialist legality in terms of why destalinisation was not a break from the past (2) - None of the changes eliminated the repressive apparatus to deal with dissidents, death penalty was reintroduced for serious economic crime - 1961 law against parasites punished those who evaded socially useful work with internal exile, allowing khrushchev to harass political opponents by firing them and prosecuting them as parasites
• Describe the reforms to the communist party in terms of why destalinisation was not a break from the past (2) - Khrushchev changed aspects of the political system but not the system itself, when parties authority was questioned the regime still used harsh measures to clamp down - The communist party in general remained in change, and no other parties were allowed as they were deemed not necessary
• Describe repression in terms of why destalinisation was not a break from the past (2) - Limits to freedom of speech remained, Boris Pasternaks 'Dr Zhivago' set during the bolshevik revolution was deemed too critical of the party, it was published in the west and received a literature nobel prize, but khrushchev demanded he refuse the award and he complied - Soviet satellite states did not experience destalinisation, hungarian uprising in october 1956 called for reforms with the hungarian communist party going as far ass calling to leave warsaw pact, khrushchev ordered soviet army to invade and...
• Describe why Khrushchevs domestic reforms can be considered successful considering the contextual restraints (4) - Economy - Society - Religion - Healthcare
• Describe agriculture with regards to the economy in terms of why khruschevs domestic reforms can be considered successful (2) - Virgin land scheme 1954 sent thousands of young farmers to Kazakhstan and siberia to cultivate steppe regions, 300,000 Komsomol members mobilised to construct collectives in these regions - By 1956 over half of the 125 million tonnes of grain produced came from VLS regions, by 1958 grain production had risen from 81 to 144 million tonnes
• Describe how khrushchevs domestic reforms can be considered failures - Economy - Society - Religion
• Describe industry with regards to economy in terms of why khrushchevs domestic reforms can be considered successful (3) - Khrushchev decentralised planning through the seven year plan by handing power to 105 economic regions - Housing factories were built to construct consumerist items, television production rose from 500,000 to 3.6 million between 1955 and 1965 - Investment into electricity production, 170 billion kw/h in 1955 to 500 billion in 1965 coupled with investment in the space race sending sputnik in 1957
• Describe housing with regards to society in terms of why khrushchevs domestic reforms can be considered successful - Abandoned communal living moving 108 million into new Khrushchyovkas between 1956 and 1964, while cheaply constructed they represented a genuine improvement in living conditions
• Describe working conditions with regards to society in terms of why khrushchevs domestic reforms can be considered successful - 1956 labour laws replaced stalins 1940 labour laws, stopping punsihment for abseentism and lateness, standardised a 7 hour working day and allowed change of jobs without authorisation
• Describe living conditions with regards to society in terms of why khrushchevs domestic reforms can be considered successful (2) - Improved social security benefits, pensions were raised to above the poverty line, under stalin they were 20 roubles below - Seven year plan improved living standard, with an increased ownership of household appliances, radios went from 66 per 1000 people in 1955 to 171 in 1966 per 1000
• Describe religion with regards to society in terms of why khrushchevs domestic reforms can be considered successful (2) - Following a period of relative religious tolerance Khrushcheve launched an anti religious campaign from 1959, mass closing churches going from 22000 in 1959 to 7800 in 1965 - Aethism was introduced into school curriculum and parents were banned from teaching children religious beleifs
• Describe healthcare with regards to society in terms of why khrushchevs domestic reforms can be considered successful - In 1940 there were 155,000 doctors, by 1958 there were 360,000 and by 1967 the doctors per 1000 ratio was higher than in the US
• Describe Agriculture (Virgin land scheme) with regards to Economy in terms of why khrushchevs domestic reforms can be considered failures (3) - Mechanisation of agriculture and inappropirate weather in VLS regions intensified soil erosion and when soil was ploughed it revealsed infertile soil underneath - Lack of crop rotation, wheat was not rotated so after 2 years the nutrients were taken out of the soil resulting in a 33 million tonne drop in wheat output, and USSR was forced to import from the west - Maize craze triggered by local party ogranisations taking khrushchevs love for maize foll...
• Describe industry (seven year plan) with regards to Economy in terms of why khrushchevs domestic reforms can be considered failures - Central planning in the form of stalinist five year plans continued with the seven year plan and the 105 regional economic councils simply added a layer of bureaucracy - Consumer production only grew 2% in 1964, the slowest growth since 1933
• Describe living conditions with regards to Society in terms of why khrushchevs domestic reforms can be considered failures (3) - Party members had exclusive privileges to access noteworthy consumer goods, car acces increased from 1 to 4 per thousand but it was almost exclusive to party members - Living conditions lagged behind the west, 410 cars per 1000 in the US, 90% of households had a TV in 1962 in the US, just 8% in the USSR - Discontent evident in Novocherkaask rising of 1962, motivated by poor quality of life combined with discotnent over increased production quotas, troops ended up ki...
• Describe religion with regards to Society in terms of why khrushchevs domestic reforms can be considered failures - Just after collapse of USSR in 1991 a 1998 survey revealed 50% of russians were still orthodox
• Describe the elements we use to judge Khrushchevs foreign policy (4) - Western policy - Chinese Policy - German Policy - Policy towards satellite states
• Describe Western policy in terms of how khrushchev successfully dealt with foreign policy problems (4) - February 1956 announcement of Detente and peaceful coexistence with the west - Khrushchevs visit to camp david in 1959, stressed the idea of peaceful competition between the US and USSR, talks so successful the media described the improving relations as 'camp david' - Khrushchev was part of negotiating the 1963 Nuclear test ban treaty - Khrushchev got the US to remove nuclear weapons from turkey in the private section of the quid pro quo deal to end cuban missile crisis in 1962
• Describe chinese policy in terms of how khrushchev successfully dealt with foreign policy problems - Mao had a more militant personality than khrushchev, it was mao that is behind the breakdown in relations like the 1961 sino soviet split
• Describe German policy in terms of how khrushchev successfully dealt with foreign policy problems - 1953 uprising on the 16th June, uprising against sovietisation process and increased work quotas, soviets violently suppressed the uprising with tanks stationed in east germany
• Describe policy towards satellite states in terms of how khrushchev successfully dealt with foreign policy problems - Popular demostrations in poland following 1956 secret speech, requested moderate reform, but did not threaten independance or request more autonomy
• Describe western policy in terms of how khrushchev did not successfully deal with foreign policy problems (3) - U2 Crisis on 1st may 1960 - 1962 cuban missile crisis - 1963 Nuclear test ban treaty made the USSR seem weak and ruined relations with china
• Describe the U2 crisis on the 1st may 1960 in terms of how khrushchev did not successfully deal with western foreign policy problems (2) - American act of aggression spying on the USSR above the Ural mountains, shot down by anti aircraft missiles, gary powers managed to escape and was captured and imprisoned - Gary powers was swapped 2 years into his 10 year sentence in 1962
• Describe the 1962 cuban missile crisis in terms of how khrushchev did not successfully deal with western foreign policy problems (2) - Following Fidel castro's communist revolution in 1959 in cuba, the US attempted an invasion in the Bay of Pigs in 1961 but failed, in 1962 Khrushchev placed missiles in cuba to develop relations with the country - Eventually khrushchev backed down and withdrew from cuba, affecting his reputation as the other side of the quid pro quo deal was private (US removing missiles from turkey)
• Describe chinese policy in terms of how khrushchev did not successfully deal with foreign policy problems (5) - 1957 China rejected USSR proposal for soviet assistance in developing a chinese nuclear weapon in return for soviet control over defense policy - Khrushchevs trips to china in 1958-59, made 2 trips to improve relations, he requested long wave radio communications with china to communicate to soviet submarines in chinese territory and proposed a joint fleet, Mao rejected fearing it qould increase dependence on the USSR - 1961 Sino Soviet split - ideological differences resulted in chi...
• Describe German Policy in terms of how khrushchev did not successfully deal with foreign policy problems (3) - 1955 USSR-DDR treaty gave east germnay freedom over foreign policy in an attempt to get the west to recognise its sovereignty, they continued refer to it as the zone - 1958 Khrushchev Ultimatum - issued a 6 month ultimatum before he would disrupt military traffic to berlin and begin to capture the rest of the city, led to 40% increase in migration and by march 1959 he backed down reflecting badly - 1961 Ultimatum reissued during the berlin crisis to try and prevent migration, it enco...
• Describe policy towards satellite states in terms of how khrushchev did not successfully deal with foreign policy problems (2) - October 1956 Hungarian uprising following lack of reform after destalinisation speech seemed to promise more autonomy, hungary was invaded by khrushchev, 3000 killed and Imre Nagy, leader of hungarian communist party was arrested and executed, UN condemned the invasion - Destalinisation was never intended to give satellite staes greater autonomy, harsh stalinist system remained in bulgaria and czechoslovakia and it was a stable means of controlling the population