Based on the question from 2018: Comparing Khrushchev and Brezhnev Main themes + mini summaries Khrushchev POLITICAL THEMES/REFO RMS - AIMS: - De-stalinization - 20th Party Congress - attacked Stalin’s reputation as a war leader, criticized his self-glorification, denounces the purges of innocent people during the Great Terror of 1936-8 Increased freedom of speech => step forward from under Stalin Raise living standards for Soviet citizens Raise grain production Switch focus from heavy industry to consumer industry Decentralize government power and economy. Khrushchev sought to limit government control by making the state “wither away”. SUMMARY: Khrushchev, following the speech at the 20th congress in 1956, attempted to dismantle the idea of Stalin being a flawless leader who could do no harm, exposing him for the war leader that he was as well as denouncing the numerous purges of innocent lives all throughout his rules, though neglecting his own role in them. This allowed for political reforms to be undertaken in order to slowly distance themself from Stalin and his ideals through a process known as de-stalinization. He would attempt to make the soviet government no longer rely on repression and terror. He would also aim to increase living standards for soviet citizens by focusing on consumer goods and the decentralization of both the government and the economy. Brezhnev - - Corruption - Brezhnev mafia - Group of people who had been with him since the beginning of his role in the government - Nomenklatura => Only people he trusted were in positions of power - Blocked Kosigyn’s reforms the system whereby influential posts in government and industry were filled by Party appointees. - “Stability of the Cadres” - ensuring the elderly party members that they were safe in their positions => political stagnation - No promotion or demotion Nepotism Can't criticize Stalin’s regime SUMMARY: Under Brezhnev, the government operated in quite a different way. While Khruschev attempted to distance himself from Stalin, Brezhnev made it a point to not allow for any criticism of the past leader. On top of this, Khruschev’s attempts at decentralization of the government were not continued once his removal from power in 1964, instead going in a completely opposite direction. Brezhnev’s government was filled with corruption, higher positions were mostly composed of what was known as the Brezhnev Mafia, a group of politicians that had worked with him since his early days in the party. Not only that but he followed the nomenclature system, ensuring that all the people in power were those he trusted and could rely on, meaning that all those with the power to make decisions were loyal to Brezhnev, giving him more power over the Party than the previous Soviet Leader. On top of this, he would also give his son and his son in law good positions within the government, ensuring that they would forever be in debt to him and thus follow through with his demands. This is one of the reasons why stagnation is used to describe his time as leader, especially in regards to political stagnation due to the fact that everyone in charge of making decisions were usually loyal to Brezhnev and old, causing a lack of political movement forward like under Khruschev. ECONOMIC THEMES/REFO RMS - - - - reduce investment on heavy industry Virgin Land campaign - Alleviate food shortages after WW2 - Produce more food - Was a failure - Poor living conditions & lack of manpower - Climate Reform in agriculture - Thought himself to be an agricultural expert (wasn't) - Higher prices on grain to the farms - Taxes were reduced Industry: reduce investment on heavy industry and reorganize the structure and management of the industry which he believed would lead to greater efficiency and productivity - Basically go back on what Stalin had did previously - Increase in industrial production - GNI increased by 58% Space race - Takes money away from investment for the population => not a great look when you take into account his agricultural failures. SUMMARY: The economy under Khrushchev was partially successful. On one hand, continuing with the theme of decentralization and de-stalinization, Khurschev thought to reorganize the structure and management of the industry in order to lead it to greater efficiency and productivity as he believed that the system held under Stalin was holding the country back from its full potential. He also focused less on heavy industry and more on consumer goods than Stalin did. Through his economic reforms, he managed to increase industrial production and the economy grew as seen through the increase in Gross National Income by 58%. Despite his successes in industry, Khrschev’s attempt at reforming agriculture proved to be a failure despite proclaiming himself as an agricultural expert while having no previous experience with the subject. The Virgin Land Plan was - - - Stagnation 25% of Soviet GNP from 1964-1982 was spent on Soviet military - The military spending makes it so that there is less investment on the soviet population Agriculture: increase production and overcome shortages - successful in reversing some of the effects of collectivization and allowed farmers to return to working on state owned plot => going back on collectivisation from Stalin - Problem? Not long term solution increase in the production of consumer goods => lower rather than industrial Centralized economy => opposed Khruschev Was an attempt at industrial reform by prime minister Kosygin but the reforms were undermined and often sabotaged by Brezhnev. SUMMARY: Due to the increase in military spending during the nuclear arms race, production of consumer goods wasn't as important though it did see an increase. However agriculture did see an increase due to Brezhnev investing more to help the soviet agriculture overcome shortages, though this was a way to prevent any of Kosygin’s plans to increase spending on heavy industry. Was also a more centralized economy, another step in the opposite direction. drafted as a way to attempt to produce more food to alleviate the shortages that had been present since the start of World War 2; they also planned to sell their surplus in order to pay for increased industrialization. The plan proved to be anything but a success, the climate of the areas chosen were not suited for the monoculture needed and the lack of decent living conditions in the towns nearby meant that there was a lack of skilled workers. On top of all of this, the USSR was currently facing off the USA in a space race, which despite furthering the technological and scientific discoveries, a lot of money was invested that could've been invested in more public sectors to help out with the food shortages, notably after the famine of 1963. SOCIAL THEMES - De-stalinization More freedom of speech Censorship is eased - Soviet citizens now have a wider range of foreign literature & films though only those considered ‘safe’ by the government - No acceptance of dissent Opposing what Khruschev did and goes back on freedom of speech Increase in standard of living/quality of life - Increase in wages SUMMARY: SUMMARY: De-Stalinization really allowed for both the government and the population to no longer live in fear of expressing their opinions due to the increase in freedom of speech. Censorship in the media, art, literature, and radio are all eased though it did have its limits, foreign literature and films were allowed though only if they were considered ‘safe’ by the government as they did not want the population to be influenced by the western democratic ideologies. FOREIGN POLICY: THEME - - Decentralization of communist control joint declaration between Yugoslavian leader Tito and Khrushchev acknowledging “different roads to socialism” - Confusing when you compare with Hungary Peaceful coexistence (per the secret speech) - reduce hostility between the two superpowers - Still had the space race - Way to compete with each other and fight for who was best on a world stage - Also reinforced barriers through the Berlin Wall 1961 - 1962 Cuban Missile crisis - Is it peaceful coexistence? You're both fighting just its a proxy Overall a step back in freedom from Kruschev, stopping the social atmosphere of the soviet union from progressing any further and causing stagnation in any social developments though there was an increase in the standard of living due to the increased consumer goods when compared to the Khrushchev era. - Détente - Came to an agreement on arms limitations => ended with Carter Keep buffer zone (same as Khruschev - 1968 Prague Spring The USSR's Involvement in Afghanistan => ends detente Brezhnev Doctrine made clear that all communist regimes were to remain communist SUMMARY: Foreign Policy under Brezhnev was used as a way to attempt to stabilize the USSR’s economy and to continue to secure their authority over their buffer zone in Eastern Europe, similar to Khrushchev. An example of exploiting their foreign relations for conflict Khrushchev convinced Castro to allow Russian nuclear missiles to be built on Cuban soil Sino soviet split - Secret speech - Mao Didn't like the distance from stalin - Mao Didn't like the relaxation with the West Continued control over eastern europe and asserting power over it - Berlin Wall Crisis - Hungarian uprising 1956 - Warsaw Pact 1955 provide a unified military command and the systematic ability to strengthen the Soviet hold over the other participating country - illustrated the extent to which he would protect a collective Soviet Union, their own gain would be through the creation of trading deals with the US and their western allies, promoting economic activity between the two sides of the Cold War. This attempt at calming tensions between the two countries and their nuclear arms race did not last despite its initial success. The SALT agreement between Brezhnev and president Nixon, an agreement that limited the amount of nuclear arms between both countries, despite its success was not continued once the president left office and was replaced by President Carter who campaigned anti-Detente. The rather peaceful time between the USA and the USSR was a steep contrast to the relationship between the USSR and its satellite states in Eastern Europe. Similar to Khriuschev’s relationship, he would ensure that the Soviet Union’s buffer zone with the West would not face any sort of threat in order to keep the countries in line. He was able to do so through the continuation of Comecon, for economic trading, and the Warsaw Pact, for assured political and military assistance. However, in contrast to Khrushchev, Brezhnev realized that many of the eastern european countries would continue to be politically aligned with the USSR if they were given more economic freedom as COMECON forced the countries to follow a Soviet model who rarely - Confusion => peaceful with the US yet in constant problems with the rest benefited their economy as it was not adapted to the way their country was structured. Thus, he allowed them to have the option to opt out of any economic SUMMARY: project within the comecon in order to pursue their own economic interests. Despite Khrushchev's foreign policy was marked by the decrease of tensions between the West this, he was not ready to allow communism to be threatened by ideological reforms, and the USSR while simultaneously increasing his power and dominance over the as seen through the soviet intervention in the Prague Spring. From the moment Eastern Bloc. Following his speech at the 20th Party Congress, Khruschev announced Alexander Dubcek became Prime Minister of Czecholsolivkia in early 1968, a period that he would be going back on Stalin’s continued attacks to the West since the of mass political liberalization began. Despite refusing to abolish the Party’s breakdown of the Grand Alliance and allowed for the two separate ideologies to coexist monopoly in the country, he did allow for the creation of an opposition within the together without tensions. Though this would help with their relations with the USA, it did government as well as a decrease in media censorship and an increase in freedom the opposite in regards to sino-soviet relations, which only worsened as Khruschev of speech. Dubcek wanted to reform communism and Bhrezhnev, as well as other continued on with De-Stalinization. Warsaw Pact country leaders, heavily disliked his actions. After refusing to put an One of the confusing aspects of the peaceful coexistence principle is that, despite end to his reforms, soviet troops allied with satellite state armies, marched into agreeing to not go to war over their ideological differences,both countries were actively Czechoslovakia on August 20th in order to put an end to the threat. (threat being the partaking in the space race as they attempted to one up each other in technological possibility of the news of what was happening in Prgaue spreading to other eastern advancement related to space exploration, both countries investing an incredible amount european countries and thus creating more revolts in the countries and risking the of money into the program and diverging it from possible public spending. This meant that collapse of the soviet bloc). Following the invasion, Brezhnev announced what was despite agreeing for both ideologies to live together at an equal footing, both were known as the Brezhnev Doctrine which made clear that all communist countries were actively attempting to one up each in order to prove their superiority. On top of this, to remain communist and if one were to try to diverge, they would be stopped. This despite the agreement of the two ideologies living together, Khruschev did not tolerate the would secure the soviet influence over eastern europe and put an end to any future divergence of ideology in the satellite states. When Imre Nagy, Prime Minister of Hungary threat possible. - attempted to remove itself from soviet control by both attempting to leave the Warsaw Pact and Comecon, two agreements that linked all of the eastern bloc countries to the Soviet Union, and by negotiation to have soviet tanks leave the country. Instead of using peaceful methods as adversities by his new plan for foreign relations, he and the rest of the Warsaw Pact countries invaded the country in 1956, putting an end to this divergence from Moscow and removing Imre Nagy by replacing him with Kadar who promised to stay aligned with Khruschev. This showed that if Soviet security was threatened, in this case by a radical change in ideology, Khruschev would not hesitate to use forceful methods to remove the threat.
