Nikita khrushchev, the then soviet leader after stalin. However, khrushchev continued to portray his regime as a rule of the. October 1962 khrushchevs brinkmanship nearly involved the ussr in nuclear war. List of books and articles about nikita khrushchev. Former soviet premier nikita khrushchev provoked the cuban missile crisis and oversaw the building of the berlin wall.
The socialist union of america and khrushchevs ussr. Khrushchev was born in 1894 and he was an eye witness to the bolshevik revolution, the two world wars, the cold war, the crisis in berlin and the crisis in cuba. In each conflict tensions were high and the possibility of nuclear war was present. There are flashbacks to earlier periods in khrushchevs life and chapter 6 and the conclusion discuss the familys difficulties in erecting a memorial at his grave as well as the authors comments about the changing official view of khrushchev up to 1989 just before the book was published. Khrushchevs secret speech soviet history britannica. It can be ordered in the united states through in either the hardcover or paperback edition. Khrushchevs first day in america was mostly taken up with formal receptions and a motorcade from the airport to downtown washington. This volume, together with it sequel khrushchev remembers. Postrevisionists see the events of the cold war as more nuanced, and attempt to be more balanced in determining what occurred during the cold war.
Schapiro, leonard, the communist party of the soviet union, vintage books, new york, 1971. After stalin died in 1953, four men joined together to lead the country. In accordance with a soviet textbook, collective leadership was. History and politics students alike will welcome this new seminar study which analyses the khrushchev era a critical period of soviet and world history. The death of joseph stalin on march 5, 1953 created a tremendous vacuum in soviet leadership. Written in 1970 some years of khrushchev fell from power oct. As a hollywood star, he appeared in 100 films over. The man and his era is a 2003 biography of soviet leader nikita khrushchev. With features chiseled in stone, and renowned for playing a long list of historical figures, particularly in biblical epics, the tall, well built and ruggedly handsome charlton heston was one of hollywood s greatest leading men and remained active in front of movie cameras for over sixty years. In 1953, stalin died, and khrushchev grappled with stalins chosen successor, georgy malenkov, for the position of first secretary of the communist party.
Stalin in the late 1940s, molotov in 19531954, khrushchev i n. The transformations in soviet political structure under khrushchev 2. Drawing on newly available archival materials and a wealth of recently published russian and ukrainian sources, this standard biography provides much new information on khrushchevs life and career. List of books and articles about nikita khrushchev online. After stalins death in 1953, a power struggle for leadership ensued, which was won by nikita khrushchev. The production proved to be hugely controversial, with questions asked in parliament and many viewer complaints over its supposed subversive nature and horrific content. Khrushchevs cold war makes for an enjoyable historical journey, enlightening readers about a critical period of u. N ikita khrushchev was the most colorful soviet leader during the cold war. It also led to great uncertainty about who would lead the worlds communist superpower. As soviet premier in 1953, malenkov oversaw the first signs of the soviet peace. As would be expected, a number of issues, which had atthattime possible repercussions. Khrushchevs selection was a crucial first step in his rise to power in the soviet unionan advance that culminated in khrushchev being named secretary of the communist party in september 1953, and premier in 1958. Kennan and george orwell author of the influential book 1984 envisioned a bleak and dangerous.
Miriam dobsons admirable study, khrushchevs cold summer. In the ussr, during the elevenyear period from the death of joseph stalin 1953 to the political ouster of nikita khrushchev 1964, the. A political life traces the rise and fall of the late soviet leader nikita khrushchev. Khrushchev to a closed session of the 20th congress of the communist party of the soviet union. Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle coronavirus. This is the story of the rise and fall of one man against the background of his countrys history bloody, tumultuous, yet immensely significant since the revolution in 1917. Protest, reform and repression in khrushchevs soviet union. List of books and articles about collapse of the soviet union. In a 2000 poll of industry experts conducted by the british film. Certainly the most colorful soviet leader, khrushchev is best remembered for his dramatic. Collective leadership in the soviet union wikipedia. The propagandas of nazi germany and the german democratic republic east lansing. The khrushchev thaw is an unofficial name of the period in the history of the ussr after the death of joseph stalin from 1953 to 1964.
Khrushchevs narrative frequently contradicts itself. Events around the world sparked conflict between the two nations. The infant khrushchev was one of a vast family of nearly one hundred million peasants, mainly illiterate, latterly. Start studying khrushchev s attempts to reform government and destalinisation. This campaign was khrushchevs 1953 plan to dramatically boost agricultural production and prevent food shortages. A7 richard nixon met nikita khrushchev in moscow, in 1959. Nikita khrushchev 18941971 first secretary of the communist party of the soviet union 19531964. Nikita khrushchev was born in the village of kalinovka, dmitriyev uyezd, kursk guberniya, russian empire, now occupied by the presentday kursk oblast in russia. Mar 19, 2020 nikita khrushchev begins his rise to power. These were far from trivial matters to the soviet regime. Its resolution was a propaganda victory for us as soviets appeared to back down soviet missiles removed publicly from cuba, nato missiles removed secretly from turkey.
It is associated with having roots during malenkovs rule. But despite his rough edges, he had a keen mind and a ruthless grasp of power. For almost seven years thereafter, khrushchev lived quietly in moscow and at his. Khrushchev a political life william tompson palgrave. Reagan in september 1984 signals a change in this situation. Khrushchevs secret speech, february 25, 1956, in russian history, denunciation of the deceased soviet leader joseph stalin made by nikita s. Born april 17, 1894 kalinovka, russia died september 11, 1971 petrovodalneye, soviet union soviet premier and first secretary of communist party. Gulag returnees, crime, and the fate of reform after stalin, both explains the politics that led to criminal justice policy changes, and recounts the human story behind the figures through details about the life experiences of released prisoners.
The expremier, musing in retirement, blusters about stalins mistakes for example, the postwar drive to build up, of all things, a conventional navy. The speech was addressed to the soviet leadership as well as to the people of russia and other republics, however, the soviet leadership decided. End page a forlornlooking woman and man peer at an empty crib filled only with the words abortion will deprive you of happiness. In his memoirs nixon described the impression that khrushchev made on him. Khrushchevs eldest son leonid died in 1943 during the great patriotic war. His third wife was nina petrovna kukharchuk 1900 1984, with whom he began living soon afterward though the marriage was not officially registered until the late 1960s. Written by william taubman, the book is the first indepth and comprehensive american biography of khrushchev. Khrushchevs time in office immediately after world war ii, there were serious threats of a war with russia. Georgi malenkov, lavrenti beria, vyacheslav molotov, and nikita khrushchev.
This book has been cited by the following publications. Taubman was the recipient of the 2004 pulitzer prize for biography or autobiography, as well as the 2004 national book. Stalins books and records his private belongings were scattered, his. Nikita khrushchev begins his rise to power history. Khrushchev succeed in his policy of destalinisation. After khrushchev became the soviet leader in 1953, kukharchuk acted as the first lady of soviet union, in a position that was nonexistent with previous soviet leaders. Nikita khrushchev and destalinization in the soviet union 1953. Be the first to ask a question about the khrushchev era 19531964 lists with this book. He served as first secretary of the communist party of the soviet union from 1953 to 1964, and as chairman of the council of ministers, or premier, from 1958 to 1964.
Khrushchevs speech was designed to liberate people from stalins brutal regime based on manipulative methods of control by fear. Jewish nationalists think that their nation was saved by the united states there you can become rich, bourgeois, etc. Much of the historiography on the cold war weaves together two or even all three of these broad categories. Early career of a peasant family, he worked in the plants and mines of ukraine, joined the communist party in 1918, and in 1929 was sent to moscow for further study. Soviet workers and late stalinism by donald filtzer. Kremlin leaders believed the more territory the soviet union conquered the safer the state. Khrushchev forcibly tried to cultivate previously untouched lands by painting his plan as a socialist adventure through the use of the concept of the komsomol. After the death of joseph stalin on march 5th, 1953, m. When nikita sergeyevich khrushchev lead the soviet union from 19551964, he made radical change and eliminated the repression of stalins time. The death of joseph stalin in 1953 ended a quartercentury of his dictatorial rule over the soviet union. Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel.
A novel, often published as 1984, is a dystopian novel by english novelist george orwell. Collective leadership or collectivity of leadership was considered the ideal form of governance. In a sensational speech to the 20th congress of the communist party mr khrushchev painted a graphic picture of a regime of suspicion, fear, and terror built up under the former dictator who died three years ago. Michigan state university press, 2004 provides an analysis of much of the material on the german propaganda archive. Nikita khrushchev, by hayden kennedy khrushchev was born on april, 15, 1894 in kalinovka, a small town near the ukraine border. A biography of khrushchev, leader of the soviet union and one of the most prominent figures of the cold war, who attempted to reform the dictatorship he inherited from joseph stalin. Khrushchev was a leader of the former ussr from 1953 to 1964, and given the mans importance as a world figure so this book offers insight. Apr 12, 2012 khrushchevs selection was a crucial first step in his rise to power in the soviet unionan advance that culminated in khrushchev being named secretary of the communist party in september 1953, and premier in 1958. Nineteen eightyfour british tv programme wikipedia.
It was khrushchev who, in 1957, finally filled the political vacuum left by the death of stalin in 1953. Protest, reform and repression in khrushchevs soviet. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Khrushchev retires as head of ussr nikita khrushchev has unexpectedly stepped down as leader of the soviet union. The inside story of an american adversary, new york. Khrushchevs rough manners, bad grammar, and heavy drinking caused many western journalists and diplomats to underestimate him. Zubok asserts stalin mobilized his people for conflict using ideological rhetoric, but desired to control various regions to create a security buffer zone.
Khrushchevs allout assault on religion began in earnest in 1959. Reform and repression in khrushchevs soviet union explores the nature of political protest in the ussr during the decade following the death of stalin. Always paranoid about plots and coups, stalin had refused to nominate or prepare a successor. He joined the communist bolsheviks in 1918, which was more than a year after they seized power in the russian revolution. As soviet premier in 1953, malenkov oversaw the first signs of the soviet peace offensive, in which a series of overtures to the west. The expression thaw comes from the title of the short story written by illya ehrenburg. Under nikita khrushchevs leadership, the soviet regime promoted a series of reforms, destalinization, and a cultural thaw. The khrushchev thaw was highlighted by khrushchevs 1954 visit to beijing, peoples republic of china, his 1955 visit to belgrade, yugoslavia with whom relations had soured since the titostalin split in 1948, and his subsequent meeting with dwight eisenhower later that year, culminating in khrushchevs 1959 visit to the united states. After the arrest of beria 26 june 1953, nikita khrushchev proclaimed collective. As late as 1984, years after his death, politburo members railed. Although khrushchevs tolerance for critical creative works varied during his tenure, the new cultural periodknown as the thawrepresented a clear break with the repression of the arts under stalin.
Lenin and the other leaders of the soviet union set about repairing the damage caused by the revolution and the civil war. Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search. The second volume of khrushchevs memoirs bears all the voiceprints of a lovable dodo. In his book nikita khrushchev and the creation of a superpower, sergei khrushchev, nikita s son, related that on a trip to iowa in the 1990s, the governor of iowa quipped that when he had gone to the soviet union, the russians he encountered exclaimed, iowa. Redefining punishment in khrushchevs soviet union, 1953 1964 hardy, jeffrey s. As head of the kgb, beria was perceived as a threat to the other three, and they arranged for his execution. Very rarely disclosures of information from behind the iron curtain throw new light on the roots of communist thought and action and challenge accepted notions on the operation of the communist system. Khrushchevs rise to power did initiate a period in which tensions between the united states and the soviet union began slightly to ease, as he. Nikita khrushchev 18941971 led the soviet union during the height of the cold war, serving as premier from 1958 to 1964. The expression thaw comes from the title of the short story written by illya. Us soviet relations, 195319611984 university center for. Nikita sergei khrushchev was born in 1894, the child of peasants driven from the land by poverty.
Stalin denounced by nikita khrushchev history today. His father was the peasant sergei nicaronovich khrushchev d. Protest, reform and repression in khrushchev s soviet union explores the nature of political protest in the ussr during the decade following the death of stalin. Project muse abortion will deprive you of happiness. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. This is the third and last volume of the only complete and fully reliable englishlanguage version of the memoirs of the soviet leader nikita khrushchev. Examples of this include khrushchev letting books and movies from the west be shown in the soviet union, as he believed the quality of life portrayed in these works could be matched by the soviet union. The khrushchev s influence on the soviet revolution. Some might say dry at times but also a fascinating window into the world of the defunct ussr.
The official soviet news agency, tass, announced that a plenary meeting of the communist party central committee had accepted mr khrushchevs request to depart in view of his advanced age and the deterioration of his health. Stalin and khrushchev diplomatic relations with the usa joseph stalin born. Khrushchevism allows for the citizens to view artwork from outside the country, even if it is not supportive of the regime. In 1922, germany recognized the soviet union see rapallo, treaty of, and most other western nations except the united states followed suit in 1924. Nineteen eightyfour is a british television adaptation of the novel of the same name by george orwell, originally broadcast on bbc television in december 1954. The conflict continued its bloody course until an armistice was agreed upon in july, 1953 about four months after stalins death.
The story was mostly written at barnhill, a farmhouse on the scottish island of jura, at times while orwell suffered from severe tuberculosis. According to freeze, the regime closed 59 of its 69 monasteries, 5 of its 8 seminaries, and,500 of its 22,000 parish churches429. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading protest, reform and repression in khrushchevs soviet union new studies in european history. Commissar, 19181945 and memoirs of nikita khrushchev, volume 2. Yet even as khrushchevs regime repudiated the violent coercion and punitive excesses of stalinism, it still sought to discipline the everyday lives and practices of citizens. Redefining punishment in khrushchevs soviet union, 1953 1964. This is the third volume of khrushchevs autobiography following on from memoirs of nikita khrushchev, volume 1.
Mar 01, 2003 taubman s book contains an extensively detailed portrait of nikita khrushchev, one that does suffer at times from a bit too much detail. Taubman was the recipient of the 2004 pulitzer prize for biography or autobiography, as well as the 2004 national book critics circle award. All stalins men 1984 presents biographies of six of stalins lieutenants who. Khrushchev was responsible for the destalinization of the soviet union, for backing the progress of the. Every jewish nationalist is the agent of the american intelligence service. Khrushchevs speech enabled him to distance himself from stalin supporters, namely molotov, malenkov and lazar kaganovich.
Soviet workers and late stalinism is a study of labour and labour policy during the critical period of the soviet union s postwar recovery and the last years of stalin. Khrushchevs time in office essay 1447 words bartleby. A process that was established to neutralise and denounce the influence of joseph stalin, destalinisation. Khrushchev was responsible for the partial destalinization of the soviet union, for backing the. The socialist union of america and khrushchevs ussr by hal smith. One of the most immediate results of khrushchevs destalinization speech and policy was the increased release of political prisoners. This structural transformation, which may be assigned the dates 195356 for analytical purposes, had basically two manifestations. There s a lot to learn about khrushchev, and this book does a decent job laying out his major accomplishments and failures, though it does get bogged down a bit, especially in the middle. After being a loyal supporter of soviet leader joseph stalin 18791953. January 31, 2017 september 12, 2018 by daniel, posted in cold war. A failed empire begins with the origins of the cold war under the leadership of joseph stalin. Serov, khrushchevs own police chief an honest, incor ruptible, reliable comrade despite his mistakes who was dismissed in 1958, and a gratuitous. Introductions by edward crankshaw and jerrold schecter, translated and edited by strobe talbott, revd by harrison e salisbury.
Another two decades would pass before reform again entered the kremlin lexicon, and the result then was the end not only of the cold war, but the soviet union. It was the first since the death of josef stalin in 1953, but almost nothing was said about the dead leader until, in closed session on the 25th, 1,500 delegates and many invited visitors listened to an amazing speech by nikita khrushchev, first secretary of the party, on the personality cult and its consequences. Protest, reform and repression in khrushchevs soviet union new studies in european history kindle edition by robert hornsby. Within three years of stalins death in 1953, khrushchev purges secret police chief beria and outmaneuvers his remaining challengers to consolidate power. His most straightforward attack was to simply shut down many of the churchs institutions. Nikita khrushchevs personal diplomacy provides a vast range of episodes for his biographers, from triumphs for the policy of peace to harebrained schemes and impulsive, dangerous zigzags.