Figure 1.-- |
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A power struggle followed Stalin's death in 1953. Ukranian Party boss Nikita Khrushchev emerged victorious in that struggle. Khrushchev was a true believer in Communism. Like many of his generation, the Revolution had provided opportunities thast were incoceibanle under the Tsarist regime, He was convinced that the Communist system was a scientifically based system that if properly managed would out produce the West. He was perplexed when confronted with the Soviet Union's deep seated economic problems. Perhaps his single most important achievement was launching the De-Stalinization process in 1956 with the 20th Party Congress. This too, however, resulted in difficulties as disorders in both Poland and Hungary soon followed. While Stlalin was a mass murder, Khrushchev was even more dangerous. His behavior was often crude such as when he took his shoe off and banged his desk at the United Nations when a speaker displeased him. He told Americans, "We will bury you". He rarely listen to advisors, often making important decissions on whim. Also he actually believed in Communist ideology. This combined with his mercurial personality and willingness to gamble brought the world close to nuclear war over Cuba in 1962. He once confided with Nassar that aideast crisis was like "playing chess in the dark". He was finally replaed by faceless party aparatcheks in 1964 for "adventurism". [Taubman] Conservatives in the Party leadership were concerned about the de-Stalinization process as well as dangerous adventure in Cuba, but what seems to have caused his removal was Khrushchev's efforts to reform the beaureacracy, especially fixed terms in office--a convern to an aging leadership generation. Khrushchev had essentially made Soviet officials safe from purges through his de-Stalinization program. These very same officials replaced him (October 1964).
A power struggle followed Stalin's death in 1953. Ukranian Party boss Nikita Khrushchev emerged victorious in that struggle.
His son who now lives in the West paint a benign portrait of his father. Other biographers are less kind. Most paint a man whose crass buffonery often his a ruthless core. [Montefiore] Khrushchev was a true believer in Communism. Like many of his generation, the Revolution had provided opportunities thast were incoceibanle under the Tsarist regime, He was convinced that the Communist system was a scientifically based system that if properly managed would out produce the West. He was perplexed when confronted with the Soviet Union's deep seated economic problems.
While he participated in the Stalinist Terror, his single most important achievement was surely launching the De-Stalinization process (1956). The 20th Party Congress was a major step in ending Stalinism in the Soviet Union. Despite his many negative actions and behavior as the Soviet leader, this was a courageous and critical action. Under Khruschev many were released from the Gulag--but the camps were not emptied. It should also be remembered that in his last years in power that the regime was again clamping down on disidents.
De-Stalminization resulted in difficulties as disorders in both Poland and Hungary soon followed.
While Stlalin was a mass murder, Khrushchev was even more dangerous. His behavior was often crude such as when he took his shoe off and banged his desk at the United Nations when a speaker displeased him. He used missles in an attempt to intimidate the West, as Hitler had used the Luftwaffe. He bragged about turning missles out like sauggages. His son who was an enginner is reported to have asked him about this because he knew there were only a small number of missles. Khrushchev is reported to have told his son not to worry as there were no sausages either. The story may be apocriphal. He is rembered in America as saying, "We will bury you". The impact was to stimulate American defense spending. It also caused President Eisenhower to authorize U-2 flights which Khrushchev used to wreck the Vienna submit and a chance to limit the arms race (1960). He rarely listen to advisors, often making important decissions on whim. Also he actually believed in Communist ideology. This combined with his mercurial personality and willingness to gamble made him more dangerous than the much more calculating Stalin. While Stlalin was a mass murder, Khrushchev nearly precipitated the holocaust of nuclear war. The Cuban Missle Crisis was the most dangerous confrontation of the Cold War (1962).
He once confided with Nassar that aideast crisis was like "playing chess in the dark".
He was finally replaed by faceless party aparatcheks in 1964 for "adventurism". [Taubman] Conservatives in the Party leadership were concerned about the de-Stalinization process as well as dangerous adventure in Cuba, but what seems to have caused his removal was Khrushchev's efforts to reform the beaureacracy, especially fixed terms in office--a convern to an aging leadership generation. Khrushchev had essentially made Soviet officials safe from purges through his de-Stalinization program. These same faceless very same aparatcheks replaced him (October 1964).
Montefiore, Simon Sebag. Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar (Knopf), 785p.
Taubman, William. Khrushchev: The Man and His Era (Norton), 876p.
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