Khrushchev Fell From Power Because He Failed To Convince The Party Of The Need To Carry Out Fundamental Reform In The USSR
‘Khrushchev fell from power because he failed to convince the party of the need to carry out fundamental reform in the USSR’
Introduction:
Talk about how after Stalin’s death he set about on de-Stalinisation and reform the Stalinist system that had previously consisted of terror and repression
Khrushchev had a lot of good ideas that he wanted to implement but due to the bureaucratic nature of the Soviet party officials weren’t keen on implementing certain reforms which offered no benefits to them despite being good for the population
FACTORS:
Reform of the CPSU which made Khrushchev unpopular
Khrushchev’s reforms (i.e. Agriculture, education)
Reduction of the use of terror
1. Reform of CPSU
Why did Khrushchev want to reform the CPSU?
Donald Filtzer – during Stalin’s years: real power in the Soviet Union resided in the upper echelons of the party, not within government
The party bureaucracy controlled all major appointments to Party and government posts – during last few years of Stalin, power had resided in Stalin’s person secretariat
Khrushchev wanted to place the party back in the centre of the political stage.
2 motivations: used party as the base of his political power and he thought that the party could revitalise popular morale and initiative whilst being kept under tight control
He wanted to make it the supreme power in the land
What reforms did he carry out?
RULE 25: on sheet
Division of the CPSU into agricultural and industrial sections: ineffective
HISTORICAL INTERPRETATION: Filtzer: “an attempt by Khrushchev to expand his patronage base”
Sovnarkhoz reforms: quote
2. Khrushchev’s agricultural and educational reforms/ legal reforms (FAILURES)
THE VIRGIN LANDS EXPERIMENT
Attempts to stimulate grain production and restore the agricultural sector
List some limited successes
Why the failures of this campaign were have such an impact?
FILTZER INTERPRETATION: due also to the economy
SMITH: must recognise it was down to defence and industry not
Introduction:
Talk about how after Stalin’s death he set about on de-Stalinisation and reform the Stalinist system that had previously consisted of terror and repression
Khrushchev had a lot of good ideas that he wanted to implement but due to the bureaucratic nature of the Soviet party officials weren’t keen on implementing certain reforms which offered no benefits to them despite being good for the population
FACTORS:
Reform of the CPSU which made Khrushchev unpopular
Khrushchev’s reforms (i.e. Agriculture, education)
Reduction of the use of terror
1. Reform of CPSU
Why did Khrushchev want to reform the CPSU?
Donald Filtzer – during Stalin’s years: real power in the Soviet Union resided in the upper echelons of the party, not within government
The party bureaucracy controlled all major appointments to Party and government posts – during last few years of Stalin, power had resided in Stalin’s person secretariat
Khrushchev wanted to place the party back in the centre of the political stage.
2 motivations: used party as the base of his political power and he thought that the party could revitalise popular morale and initiative whilst being kept under tight control
He wanted to make it the supreme power in the land
What reforms did he carry out?
RULE 25: on sheet
Division of the CPSU into agricultural and industrial sections: ineffective
HISTORICAL INTERPRETATION: Filtzer: “an attempt by Khrushchev to expand his patronage base”
Sovnarkhoz reforms: quote
2. Khrushchev’s agricultural and educational reforms/ legal reforms (FAILURES)
THE VIRGIN LANDS EXPERIMENT
Attempts to stimulate grain production and restore the agricultural sector
List some limited successes
Why the failures of this campaign were have such an impact?
FILTZER INTERPRETATION: due also to the economy
SMITH: must recognise it was down to defence and industry not