THE RISE OF KHRUSHCHEV
END OF AN ERA
Death by stroke/ brain haemorrhage on
March 5th 1953
Stalin was a hero to millions of people in
the USSR. He had defeated Hitler and
given the USSR an empire in eastern
Europe. He made the USSR a nuclear
superpower.
When he died in 1953 many minds
turned to the question of who would
succeed Stalin as Soviet leader.
The man who emerged by 1955 was
Nikita Khrushchev.
RISE OF KHRUSHCHEV
After 2 years of internal dispute, Nikita
Khrushchev emerged as leader in 1955.
He gave the “Secret Speech” in February
1956 at the Twentieth Party Congress, ...
It was all about, the cult of personality.
FOUR KEY ELEMENTS OF STALIN’S
CULT OF PERSONALITY
• Stalin as an absolute champion of Communism
• Through propaganda the belief in Stalin as “protector” of the
USSR from all foreign threats (WWII, capitalism, NATO, …)
• The necessity of the gulags to protect Stalin from all political
threats and to preserve the healthy functioning of the Soviet
economy
• The transformation of Soviet society where all citizens
conformed due to their fear of arbitrary arrest and even
execution.
“ON THE CULT OF THE
INDIVIDUAL”
Now read the speech (excerpts)...
1. What are the key points in his speech?
2. How do you think Communist countries would react to the
speech?
3. What would the Western response be?
RISE OF KHRUSHCHEV
Within a couple months much of the content of his “secret
speech” had been learned by Western nations.
It suggested a thaw in Cold War tensions and Khrushchev
attacked Stalin, saying he was a murderer and a tyrant
As leader he talked of peaceful co-existence with the West. He
made plans to reduce expenditure on arms. He said he wanted to
improve living standards of ordinary Soviet citizens and those of
Eastern Europe.
Khrushchev even relaxed the iron control of the Soviet Union. He
closed down the Cominform in ‘56. He released close to a million
political prisoners from the gulags. He agreed to pull Soviet
troops out of Austria (there since the end of WWII).
He seemed to be
signalling to the
countries of Eastern
Europe that they
would be allowed much
greater independence
to control their own
affairs.
RISE OF KHRUSHCHEV
What is the message of
this cartoon?
Make a list of the
features of the cartoon
which show Khrushchev
as a new type of leader.
This Russian cartoon shows Khrushchev
destroying the snowman (Cold War) with a jack hammer.
RISE OF KHRUSHCHEV
Source A
“You do not like Communism. We do not like capitalism. There is
only one way out – peaceful co-existence.”
Khrushchev speaking on a visit to Britain in 1956
Source B
“We may argue. The main thing is to argue without using weapons.”
Khrushchev speaking in 1959.
What can we learn from Sources A and B about Khrushchev’s
attitudes towards peaceful co-existence?
RISE OF KHRUSHCHEV
Peaceful Co-existence
At first, the western powers hoped that Khrushchev
would be the start of a ‘thaw’ in the Cold War.
Stalin had made all Communist countries do what he
wanted – Khrushchev changed this stating that
‘there are different roads to communism’. Western
leaders thought he would no longer insist that all
communist countries take orders from Russia.
Khrushchev began to ‘de-stalinise’ Russia. In 1961
Khrushchev declared that the period of 'the
dictatorship of the proletariat' was at an end, and
that he would bring in instead: 'the state of the
whole people'.
RISE OF KHRUSHCHEV
Source C
The death of Stalin (1953) was probably the starting point of the
'thaw' because it brought to the forefront leaders in Russia - for
example Khrushchev - who wanted to improve relations with the
west... Khrushchev explained the new policy in his famous speech
(February 1956) in which he criticised Stalin and said that 'peaceful
co-existence' was not only possible but essential: 'there were only
two ways - either peaceful co-existence or the most destructive war
in history. There is no third way'...
Norman Lowe, Mastering Modern World History (1982)
How is source C useful to a historian studying the importance of
Khrushchev in succeeding Stalin as Soviet leader?
RISE OF KHRUSHCHEV
While denouncing Joseph Stalin in a speech one day, Khrushchev
was interrupted by a voice from the audience: "You were one of
Stalin's colleagues," the man declared. "Why didn't you stop
him?"
"Who said that!?" Khrushchev roared. This was followed by
a terrified silence - only broken at last by Khrushchev himself.
"Now..." he said in a quiet voice, "Now you know why."
What can we learn from this source about why people did not
oppose Stalin as leader of the USSR
RISE OF KHRUSHCHEV
One aspect of Stalin's policy did not
change, however. His aim in Eastern
Europe had always been to create a
buffer against attack from the
West.
Khrushchev continued this policy and
in 1955 created the Warsaw Pact.
This was a military alliance to
counter NATO where the members
would defend each other if one was
attacked. The Warsaw Pact included
all the Communist countries of
Eastern Europe (except Yugoslavia),
but was dominated by the USSR.
COMING UP IN KHRUSHCHEV’S
USSR…
•Hungarian and Polish Uprisings 1956
•Berlin Crisis 1958-61
•Cuban Missile Crisis 1962
•Prague Spring 1968 (different leader – Brezhnev)