Kruschev role in the cold war (comparing two leaders)
The Post-Stalin thaw 1953-1962
Nikita Khrushchev: A Revision Guide
Introduction
●​ After Stalin’s death, the Soviet Politburo endorsed a collective leadership to prevent
another period of one-man rule.
●​ Key figures: Georgi Malenkov, Vyacheslav Molotov, Nikolai Bulganin, and Nikita
Khrushchev.
●​ Khrushchev gradually emerged as the dominant leader, becoming undisputed
Soviet leader in 1958 (Party Head & Prime Minister).
Attempts to Reform the Stalinist System
Ending the ‘Personality Cult’
●​ Khrushchev distanced himself from Stalin’s dictatorship and his excessive
glorification.
Reforming the Secret Police
●​ Stalin’s feared Secret Police was renamed the KGB.
●​ Lavrentiy Beria (Stalin’s Chief of Secret Police) was arrested and executed in
1953—other Soviet leaders feared he wanted to become Stalin’s hardline successor.
Economic Reforms
●​ Introduced a ‘New Course’ in economic policy.
●​ Shifted focus from heavy industry to consumer goods and improving living
standards.
De-Stalinization
●​ De-Stalinization: Process of discrediting Stalin and reforming the USSR after his
death.
Khrushchev’s Secret Speech (1956)
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Delivered at the 20th Communist Party Congress on February 25, 1956.
Condemned Stalin’s rule, use of gulags, and the secret police.
Blamed Stalin’s ‘cult of personality’ for Soviet terror.
Avoided mentioning crimes such as forced collectivization, repression of
intellectuals, or his own role in Stalin’s leadership.
●​ Impact:
○​ Marked a turning point in Soviet history.
○​ Led to de-Stalinization—releasing political prisoners, reducing terror, and
shifting away from Stalinist policies.
○​ Strengthened Khrushchev’s leadership while maintaining the Soviet
system.
Khrushchev’s Personality and Policies
●​ Contradictory leadership style:​
○​ Exuberant, bombastic, and militant in ideology.
○​ Promoted "socialism with a human face"—greater focus on consumer
goods and reducing political terror.
●​ Foreign Policy Contradictions:​
○​ Advocated "peaceful coexistence" with the West.
○​ Visited Britain (1956) and the USA (1959), raising hopes for better relations.
○​ However, remained deeply committed to communism and Soviet
superiority, leading to confrontations with the West.
○​ His stance is best described as “peaceful coexistence with a competitive
edge.”
●​ Downfall:​
○​ His aggressive and unpredictable leadership led to humiliation in the
Cuban Missile Crisis (1962).
○​ Removed from office in 1964.
Peaceful Coexistence & Cold War Tensions
●​ Initially seen as a potential reformer by Western powers.​
●​ Promoted a more flexible Soviet foreign policy, especially towards Communist
allies.​
●​ 1955 Visit to Yugoslavia: Told Tito, “there are different roads to communism”,
suggesting less Soviet control over other communist nations.​
●​ Contradictions in Foreign Policy:​
○​ While advocating peaceful coexistence, Khrushchev sought to prove Soviet
strength.
○​ Used diplomacy but remained unpredictable and confrontational.
○​ Engaged in high-profile summit meetings with Western leaders but did not
compromise on Soviet power.
Khrushchev and the Intensification of the Cold War
●​ Peaceful coexistence was actually peaceful competition—struggle for global
influence without direct war.
●​ Instead of reducing hostilities, Khrushchev strengthened Soviet power.
Key Actions Taken by Khrushchev
✅ De-Stalinization did not mean political freedom
●​ Communist states still had to follow Soviet control.
●​ If reforms went too far, he sent in the Red Army (e.g., Hungary 1956).
✅ Expansion of Soviet Influence
●​ Visited Afghanistan and Burma, offering economic aid in return for Soviet support.
✅ Military Build-up: Arms Race & Space Race
●​ Intensified the arms race with the USA.
●​ Engaged in the space race, launching Sputnik (1957).
✅ Formation of the Warsaw Pact (1955)
●​ Military alliance of Communist countries to counter NATO.
●​ Pact countries prepared for nuclear war against NATO.
✅ Propaganda War
●​ Launched anti-American and anti-British campaigns to promote Soviet ideology.
American Response to Khrushchev’s Actions
🚨 Increased hostility & Cold War escalation
●​ Matched Soviet aggression with stronger policies.
🚨 McCarthyism & Anti-Communist Hysteria
●​ Led by Senator Joseph McCarthy, the U.S. launched a "witch-hunt" against
suspected communists.
🚨 Propaganda War
●​ U.S. launched anti-Communist campaigns in response to Soviet propaganda.
🚨 Arms & Space Race
●​ Determined to outmatch Soviet technological and military advancements.
●​ U-2 spy planes were used to gather intelligence on Soviet activities.
Conclusion
●​ Khrushchev initially raised hopes of a Cold War thaw but ultimately deepened
tensions.
●​ His domestic reforms reduced Stalinist oppression but maintained Soviet control.
●​ His foreign policy was contradictory—he talked of peace but actively competed
with the U.S. in military and political influence.
●​ His aggressive leadership and Cuban Missile Crisis failure led to his downfall in
1964.
Summary Table: Key Points on Khrushchev
Aspect
Key Details
Leadership
Style
Energetic, bombastic, contradictory
Domestic
Reforms
De-Stalinization, consumer goods, reduced terror, but maintained
Soviet control
Foreign Policy
"Peaceful coexistence with a competitive edge"
Cold War
Actions
Space Race, Arms Race, Warsaw Pact, Suppressed revolts (Hungary
1956)
Western
Reaction
U.S. hostility, McCarthyism, U-2 spy planes, Space Race
Downfall
Cuban Missile Crisis humiliation (1962), removed in 1964