The Khrushchev Transition:

Confrontation or

Co-existence?Confrontation or

Co-existence?

J. Marshall, 2009

• Stalin was a tyrant who held both top posts in the USSR: P.M. & Party Secretary

• Georgi Malenkov was new PM = Peaceful Competition (replaced by Nikolai Bulganin in 1955).

• Nikita Khrushchev becomes 1st Secretary in 1955 and forces out Bulganin in 1957 in order to take both top jobs (like Stalin).

Stalin dies: March 1953

Post-Stalin = a better position in the world for the USSR:

• 1953 hydrogen bomb developed to match the USA’s 1952 test (remember, in 1949 USSR had the A-bomb).

• Post WW2 economic recovery allows the USSR to give aid and allows Malenkov to consider cutting military spending in favour of consumer goods. (“Guns or Butter”)

• Stalin is dead so now a thaw can possibly occur = détente?

Malenkov• Criticized by hard-liners as

too capitalist.

• Khrushchev used many of his policies once in power.

• Still, in a post-Stalinist world at least he wasn’t purged to death - off to the power plant in Kazakhstan for you Georgi.

Khrushchev

Malenkov

Bulganin

Khrushchev

Malenkov

Bulganin

De-Stalinization• 20th Congress of the Soviet CP -

Khrushchev’s secret speech:– Condemns Stalin’s excesses and his

cult of personality– CP support world-wide quickly

drops in places such as the UK.– Warsaw Pact signatories given somesome

say

– 1956 Tito and Khrushchev agree there can be different roads to

socialism. BUT…

There were limits:

Poland 1956• Strikes and demonstrations vs. Soviet

industrial policies that exploit Poland and too-rapid collectivization.

• The RC Church had been almost eliminated.

• Wladyslaw Gomulka is appointed 1st Sec of PCP to soothe people - he stands up against Khrushchev’s threats BUT does not attempt to take Poland out of Warsaw Pact.

• In power 14 years: de-collectivization, RC Church restrictions lifted

Gomulka

Pragmatic in his demands – pushed….but not too far.

Hungary 1956• HCP boss, Rakosi, too harsh - people

say he must go! Revolt spreads to unions + military.

• P.M. Imre Nagy (NODJ) can’t keep control and must promise free elections, gov’t with non-communists + get Soviet army out!

• Soviets start to back down: expecting Gomulka style compromise

BUT…

• Nagy declares Hungary to pull out of Warsaw Pact and become INDEPENDENT, like Austria.

• China demands USSR do something to stop crumbling bloc

• 04 Nov 1956 Soviet tanks storm the capital– 30 000 dead– 200 000 flee to Austria - many

taken to other western nations (guilt over Jews?)

= Janos Kadar (Hungary’s Golumka) replaces Nagy who is tried and executed in 1958.

Budapest, 1956

• S

Symbols

Refugees

Backyards: Why didn’t the WEST stop the invasion?

• In October, 1956 the UK, Fr and Israel had just invaded the Suez to counter Nasser’s nationalization of the Canal Zone.

• The USA had to intervene to stop her allies in Suez (threatened to cut off their oil from Latin America).

• Hungary was in the Soviet sphere just as the West saw the Middle East in its sphere.

Berlin: the thorn in the Soviet’s side:• Kennedy and Khrushchev meet in Vienna in June

1961 - USSR wants West out/Kennedy is steadfast - increases US military presence.

• 13 August 1961 Khrushchev orders the WALL built.

• Ironically, both called soft on Berlin (why didn’t JFK send in the troops? Khrushchev- a wall: is that all?)

• Both order more nuclear tests + JFK again increases the military (Vietnam).

THEN, IN AUGUST ‘62, A U2 FLEW OVER CUBA…but that’s a different story.

Suez Crisis 1955-1956Suez Crisis 1955-1956• 1955 Egypt-Soviet trade

agreement (arms from Czech = threat to Israel)

• USA pulls support for High Aswan Dam

• Fall, 1956 Israeli invasion (secret deal with UK/Fr)

• Fr/UK orders both nations out of Canal Zone: peacekeepers

• USSR gains influence in this Western sphere: Syria, Egypt, Iraq

Peaceful Co-Existence and the Eisenhower

Doctrine

• USSR = we can peacefully co-exist. Khrushchev’s visit to the USA angered the Chinese!

• USA answers with the Eisenhower Doctrine = we will send troops to block further expansion (CENTO was broken when Egypt shifted to the USSR after the Aswan Dam deal was broken

Khrushchev’s Virgin Lands: initial success…

• 1955, 300,000 told to migrate – mostly Russians and Ukrainians

• 1st year 200,00 km2 ploughed (1955)

• 1st harvest was excellent (1956)• Soon soil erosion + waste due to

lack of storage silos and insufficient logistics to distribute

• Ended up buying wheat from

Canada = loss of prestige

Kazakh SSR

“Break virgin lands”