DESTALINIZATION!

1. DESTALINIZATION! By AshlexO’Lashneill Aka… Alex and Ashley

2. Wot is it? • The process begun by Nikita Khrushchev, following the death of former Russian dictator Stalin in March 1953to RID ALL STALIN INFLUENCES IN RUSSIA!!! • Khrushchev was recognized for first discrediting Stalin and then reforming Soviet Russia, leading to large numbers being released from imprisonment in Gulags, a temporary thaw in the Cold War, a slight relaxation in censorship and an increase in consumer goods (an era dubbed as ‘The Thaw’ or ‘Khrushchev’s Thaw’) • This new direction was announced by Khrushchev at a speech to the Twentieth Party Congress of the CPSU on February 25th 1956 entitled ‘On the Personality Cult and its Consequences’ in which he attacked Stalin, his tyrannical rule and the crimes of that era against the party. • The speech was a calculated risk by Khrushchev, who had been prominent in Stalin’s later government, that he could attack and undermine Stalin, allowing non-Stalinist policies to be introduced, without flawing his reputation. As everyone high up in Russia’s ruling party also owed their positions to Stalin, there was no one who could attack Khrushchev without sharing the same guilt. • There was disappointment, especially in the West, that Destalinization did not lead to greater liberalization in Russia and it finished with Khrushchev’s removal from power in 1964.

4. Ideological Differences Stalin • Ruled with fear and tyranny. • Had no problem eliminating people who did not support him. • Very demanding of his country. • Globally, had a high influence. • Spread communism forcefully. Khrushchev: • Did not exercise dictatorship as Stalin had. • Tried to raise the Soviet standard of living and tried to greatly expand his country's space program. • Planned to rebuild international alliances. • Believed a leader should rule with persuasion, explanation and patience with his people.

5. Mutual Suspicion and Fear • Khrushchev tried to eliminate fear and suspicion in Russia that was inflicted by Stalin through Destalinization! • Khrushchev and the other leaders of Russia decided to start with a clean slate to rule Russia with. • Khrushchev was unlike Stalin and trusted (or tried to) many members of the parliament. • This led to his downfall, as many of them were actually opposed to his leadership! • And later voted him out of office.

6. Spheres of Influence • Destalinization mainly affected Russia • However, international relations with Russia were starting to change as Khrushchev stepped into power, and Russia was no longer under the dictatorial rule of Stalin

7. Alliances and Diplomacy • Almost immediately after Stalin died, the collective leadership began altering the conduct of Soviet foreign policy to permit better relations with the West and new approaches to the nonaligned countries. • In 1955, to ease tensions between East and West, Khrushchev recognized permanent neutrality for Austria. Meeting President Dwight D. Eisenhower in Geneva later that year, Khrushchev confirmed a Soviet commitment to "peaceful coexistence" with capitalism. • Regarding the developing nations, Khrushchev tried to win the goodwill of their national leaders, instead of following the established Soviet policy of shunning the governments while supporting local communist parties. • Soviet influence over the international alignments of India and Egypt, as well as of other Third World countries, began in the middle of the 1950s. Cuba's entry into the socialist camp in 1961 was a coup for the Soviet Union.

9. Cold War policies • Containment, Brinkmanship, Peaceful Coexistence • Increased tension with the Soviet Union caused by the Cold War were greatly reduced when Stalin died and Khrushchev took his place as Russian leader. • Problem with communist expansion was slightly quelled as destalinization became the primary goal in Russia. • Khrushchev worked to regain allies and make Russia seem new and improved! • Khrushchev strived to relieve brinkmanship caused by Stalin expanding the communist empire. As stated before : A meeting with President Dwight D. Eisenhower in Geneva later in 1955 confirmed a Soviet commitment to "peaceful coexistence" with capitalism.

10. Role of the UN or the Non-Aligned Movement in the Cold War • Khrushchev spoke to the UN regarding the goals of the USSR during his secret speech. • It allowed them to see the motives of Russia.

11. Role and Significance of Khrushchev • After the reign of Stalin, there was a collective leadership that governed Russia. • Nikita Khrushchev • became the significant leader of Russia, his most famous attribute is that of his ‘Secret Speech’ when he denounced Stalin. • This speech was important to the Russian citizens as he stated “It is here that Stalin showed in a whole series of cases his intolerance, his brutality, and his abuse of power ... he often chose the path of repression and physical annihilation, not only against actual enemies, but also against individuals who had not committed any crimes against the party or the Soviet Government.” • Khrushchev was a more lenient leader compared to Stalin, as he enforced new policies that appealed to the people of Russia, such as his attempt to lessen the harshness of the Gulag labour system and he renamed cities and monuments that were named after Stalin. • With Khrushchev as the leader of Russia this impacted millions of lives as he stressed the importance of the people, not the importance of Communism or the Government.

13. Role of the arms race, nuclear proliferation and limitation • The satellite countries, which included Georgia and other eastern European countries, were able to form their own government after their encounter with Russian Communism. • Khrushchev boasted about Soviet missile forces. • The resources were diverted to the military sector so Russia could maintain the Superpower Status and maintain competitiveness in the arms race. • There was proliferation in Russia during Destalinization as there was a growth in the building of machinery and of nuclear missiles. The limitation found throughout this time would be that the government had no choice when it came to dictating to the people, for Khrushchev was the ultimate decider when it came to making new laws and he wanted to look out for his people and not for the government and for the spreading of his view.

14. Social/cultural/economic impacts • Socially, destalinization allowed the people an improved standard of living and a greater intellectual freedom was allowed. • People were given the ability to have freedom, as they were not forced to follow the ideas and views of the new government. • There was a peaceful coexistence between the government and the people. • Economically, resources shifted from heavy industry and the military toward consumer goods and agriculture; also known as the Centralized Economic Planning. • The state encouraged peasants to grow more on their private plots, increased payments for crops grown on collective farms, and invested more heavily in agriculture.

16. Superpower relations • The arms race created tension between all of the superpowers as the raced to produce the largest amount of arms. • Created a space race as well, this led to Russia creating the first spaceship and they sent the first man to the moon. • Russia split their aid of economical aid to China which caused war to break out along the Soviet-China border at the time. • Each country became wary of each other, as scientific procedures grew and new experiments were being created to help create the most powerful country. • The satellite began to produce more evidence that showed the arms race occurring.