University:
Mississippi College
Course:
HIS 104 | World Civilization II
Academic year:

2024
Views:

318

Pages:

8
Author:

Ceniya J

Nikita Khrushchev By : Ceniya Jefferson, World History, 1st Period, 04/23/2021 Introduction Nikita Khrushchev led the Soviet Union as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964 and as chairman of the country’s Council of Ministers from 1958 to 1964. Nikita Khrushchev became Premier of the Soviet Union after Joseph Stalin’s death in 1953. In a 1956 “secret speech,” he discussed Stalin’s crimes for the ﬁrst time, starting a process called “de-Stalinization.” He also visited the West, putting a smiling face on his brand of “Reform Communism.” Khrushchev ﬂinched ﬁrst during the Cuban Missile Crisis and oversaw the building of the Berlin Wall. Political Ladder ● Khrushchev's rise to power came during Stalin’s blood purges of the 1930s. ● During those years he was a staunch Stalin supporter, taking part in his repressions. ● During WWII Khrushchev served as a political commissar in the army, spurring the resistance of civilians while liaising with Stalin and top party members, and acting as political advisor during the crucial defence of Stalingrad (now Volgograd) that marked the turning point of the war. The Thaw ● In 1956 he kicked off a campaign of “de-stalinization.” ● His secret speech to a closed session of the 20th communist Party Congress, denouncing Stalin dictatorial rule, caused a storm. ● The so-called “Khrushchev’s Thaw” followed, meaningless political control and censorship, and more openness and a rise in living standards. ● The USSR also saw the release of millions of political prisoners. He established the KGB on March 13th, 1954. The State Security Committee known for its Russian abbreviation KGB. He Also : ● Removed Stalin supporters without purging by 1958 ● Goal : to reform system, remain authoritarian ● Decrease in censorship ● Also decentralized economic central planning. ● Renewed a campaign of persecution against the Russian Orthodoc church, promising to show the last remaining priest on Soviet Television. Foreign Policy ● Khrushchev’s leadership was also marked by a series of high-proﬁle international crisis. ● While championing change, he wouldn’t tolerate dissent. Khrushchev sent in tanks to Budapest, ruthlessly suppressing a 1956 Hungarian uprising against Soviet-imposed policies. ● Khrushchev also attempted to pursue a policy of coexistence with the West. This shift in doctrine and his rejection of Stalinism led to a split with Communist China in 1960. Succession & Death ● By 1964, Khrushchev’s blunders and perceived failures had alienated much of the party elite. He was ousted by opponents led by his own man, Leonid Brezhnev. In retirement, Khrushchev was fond of reading and gardening. ● He died of a heart attack in September 1971 in Moscow. While most Soviet leaders before and after him were buried by the Kremlin Wall, Khrushchev was denied a state funeral and laid to rest at Moscow’s Novodevichy Cemetery.

World History - Nikita Khrushchev

Related Documents

Recommended Documents

Description

Related Documents

Free up your schedule!

Take 5 seconds to unlock