On Kruschev and DeStalinization
Upon the death of Stalin in March of 1953, ending twenty-five years of psychological and fear tactic domination by the Stalin regime, a collective leadership replaced the totalitarian ruler of the USSR. From that consequent power struggle, Nikita Khrushchev, bolstered by a strong agricultural background and a heroic military reputation for his leadership in the battle at Slalingrad, arose and took the reigns of leadership from 1953 to 1964. This period is characterized by a dramatic series of reforms, at first quite successful, then ultimately strewn with self-contradictory failure, that touched on every aspect of Soviet life. Khrushchev's reform agenda relied on an all-encompassing goal towards "de-Stalinization", geared towards exposing then reversing Stalin's most heinous abuses of power. The program was comprised by a series of societal reforms that started with the liberation of prison camp victims, measures limiting bureaucratic abuses, and broad economic and welfare reforms set to undue the problems of the Five-Year Plan and place Russia on a fast road towards industrial and agricultural competition. The following paper will discuss Khrushchev's successes and ultimate failure during thi
Because slow agricultural growth didn't suffice for an aggressive foreign or domestic policy, in 1954, Khrushchev embarked on a rapid agricultural reorganization agenda (Medvedev 58). The Virgin Lands policy opened up huge areas of land in the east, north, southeast, and promoted corn as a major grain and fodder crop (Medvedev 58). The program was established to allow producing areas to develop to full capacity by using fertilizer and modern technical equipment. It was kicked off in full force in 1954 after Khrushchev introduced a plan for nationwide cooperation and the Seventh Congress of the Kazakhstan Communist Party adopted it. A major nationwide effort ensued immediately thereafter. After some initial trial-and-error, the wheat harvest of 1956 was a critical success for Khrushchev, because if not for the Virgin Lands policy, 1956 would've marked a year of severe famine for the Soviet Union (Medvedev 61). These agricultural advancements in developing available acreage, corn and wheat crop success, and tractor production placed Khrushchev in great position and the de-Stalinization of agriculture, an initial success. Khrushchev's most dramatic moment and the most critical statement of de-Stalinization occurred at the Twentieth Party Congress in 1956. Khrushchev made his famous "de-Stalinization" speech, in which he placed every crime and problem with the Soviet Union at the door of Stalin. He discussed the root of the problem in the "cult of personality" that surrounded Stalin, who was single-handedly responsible for murders, persecutions, concentration camps, and numerous shady bureaucratic plots and horrific crimes against the Soviet working class, Bolshevik leaders, and national minorities. Indeed, "comrade Stalin" was the most significant traitor to the original goals of true Leninist socialism (Medvedev 66-67). Stalin's position had no relation to true Marxism, which does not explain history in terms of "Great Individuals", but relies on a materialist conception of history that explains that if an idea is put forward and gets mass support, then that idea must represent the interests of some class of group within society (Stern 153). So, if Stalin persecuted the proletariat, socialist leaders, and "thousands" of other Soviets, then Stalin did not represent proletariat-based socialism, but represented instead the bureaucratic caste of privileged officials who dominated the Party and government that ran industry, society, and the Soviet Union in their own interest (Medvedev 67, Grant 109). Reforms from above were also severely needed to prevent revolution from below. At this time, huge protests were already rising in East Germany, in the labor camps, the intelligentsia, among industrial and rural workers. Khrushchev's strong agricultural and shrewd industrial agenda were both necessary in the "thaw" that ensued immediately after his coming into position during 1954. The primary focus was to guide the thaw's progress to stimulate creative forces that would contribute to the strength of socialism (Grant 108). Khrushchev's first rule of order was to purge the top line of the most ardent Stalinists. The secret police was limited and Beria, one of Stalin's partners in crime, was shot. The most totalitarian and draconian laws were lifted as the forced-labor concentration camps were reduced and liberated. Amnesty was granted to all except political prisoners (Medvedev 14-15). s tumultuous period of "de-Stalinization". Stalin's goals relied on heavy industrial concentration at the expense of consumer goods. Despite the low living standard that ensued in the midst of this breakneck pursuit of industrialization, the working class was optimistic for a forward-moving society, as long as the productive forces continued to develop. Meanwhile, the Stalinist regime continued to grow wealthier on the backs of the workers, still fueled by the Soviet Union's military triumph (Gran
Some common words found in the essay are:
Soviet Union, Virgin Lands, Central Committee, Union Medvedev, Poland Hungary, Nikita Khrushchev, Five Plans, Soviet Union's, Party Congress, Economic Policy, soviet union, soviet society, stalinist regime, cult personality, meat production, world war ii, war ii, grant 105, world war, agricultural production, khrushchev embarked, twentieth party congress, soviet union medvedev, virgin lands policy, own cult personality,
Approximate Word count = 2635
Approximate Pages = 11 (250 words per page double spaced)
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