Changes in Leaders' Control of the State

Test yourself

Struggle for Power, 1953-56

Stalin had been such an immense figure as leader of the Soviet Union, and after his death many competed to replace him.

Praesidium of the Central Committee

The Council of Ministers, the Supreme Soviet and the Central Committee met after Stalin's death.
They decided to reduce the size of Stalin's Praesidium of the Central Committee to ten members.
- Of this group, the main rivals for power were Malenkov, Beria and Khrushchev.
Malenkov was made Chairman of the Council of Ministers.
- In this role he was head of the government.
Beria had power over the police and security system as Minister of Internal Affairs.

Nikita Khrushchev

Khrushchev seems to have held the least power immediately after Stalin's death.
- He was not made a minister.
He was Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party.
- This ended up being to his advantage.
- The party base had much more power than the formal government positions.
There were so many changes to government positions between 1953 and 1956, that Khrushchev was left an influential figure.
- Many newcomers owed him their position.

Removing opposition

Beria was involved in the fabrication of the so-called doctors' plot.
- Beria was also unpopular with the army after his role in army purges.
He was tried in secret and shot alongside six aides.

Khrushchev cements power

Khrushchev began to push for a new farming policy to exploit 'virgin lands' in Kazakhstan and Siberia.
There were also good harvests in 1954 and 1955, which made his idea even more popular.
Malenkov stood down as head of the government.
He was replaced by Bulganin, an ally of Khrushchev.
Khrushchev was also the leader of the committee which organised Stalin's funeral.
- He used this position to begin manipulating Stalin's legacy.

The Secret Speech

24 February 1956: Khrushchev's main attempt to distance himself from Stalin was through the speech he gave at the Twentieth Party Congress.
The speech was 20,000 words long.
Khrushchev accused Stalin of abusing his power, including through his brutality and the cult of personality.
He used Lenin's testament to show that the founder of the USSR had not wanted Stalin to be leader.

Khrushchev's positioning

Khrushchev did not criticise everything.
- He focused on Stalin's crimes after 1934.
He was not arguing for a complete liberalisation.
The reaction to the speech was profound:
- There were riots in the gulags.
- The subsequent release of political prisoners also led to the renaming of Stalingrad as Volgograd.
- Stalin's body was removed from the mausoleum where Lenin lay.

1Communist Government in the USSR, 1917-85

1.1Establishing Communist Party Control, 1917-24

1.1.1The Creation of a One-Party State

1.1.2Government under Lenin

1.1.3Centralisation of Power

1.1.4End of Topic Test - Establishing Control

1.1.5A-A* (AO3/4) - Establishing Control

1.2Stalin in Power, 1928-53

1.2.1The Elimination of Opponents

1.2.2The Purges of the 1930s

1.2.3End of Topic Test - The Elimination of Opponents

1.2.4Stalin's Power Over the Communist Party

1.2.5Stalin's Power During & After the Communist Party

1.2.6End of Topic Test - Power Over the Communist Party

1.2.7A-A* (AO3/4) - Stalin in Power

1.3Government, 1953-85

1.3.1Changes in Leaders' Control of the State

1.3.2Khrushchev's Attempts to Reform Government

1.3.3End of Topic Test - Government 1953-85

1.3.4Stability & Stagnation, 1964-85

1.3.5End of Topic Test - Stability & Stagnation

1.3.6A-A* (AO3/4) - Government 1953 - 85

2Industrial & Agricultural Changes

2.1Towards a Command Economy

2.1.1Nationalisation of Industry, Communism & the NEP

2.1.2End of Topic Test - Towards a Command Economy

2.2Industry & Agriculture in the Stalin Era

2.2.1Five Year Plans & Industrial Change

2.2.2Five Year Plans & Industrial Change 2

2.2.3End of Topic Test - Five Year Plans

2.2.4Agricultural Collectivisation & its Impact

2.2.5Recovery from War after 1945

2.2.6End of Topic Test - Collectivisation & Recovery

2.3Changes in Industry & Agriculture, 1953-85

2.3.1Light Industry, Chemicals & Consumer Goods

2.3.2Investment in Agriculture & Virgin Lands

2.3.3Attempts at Reform after 1964

2.3.4End of Topic Test - Industry & Agriculture

2.3.5A-A* (AO3/4) - Industry & Agriculture

3Control of the People, 1917-85

3.1Media, Propaganda & Religion

3.1.1State Control of Mass Media & Propaganda

3.1.2Attacks on Religious Beliefs & Practices

3.1.3Attacks on Religious Beliefs & Practices 2

3.1.4End of Topic Test - Media, Propaganda & Religion

3.1.5Cults: Stalin, Khrushchev, Brezhnev

3.1.6A-A*/ - Media, Propaganda & Religion

3.2The Secret Police

3.2.1Attacks on Opponents of the Government

3.2.2The Roles of Yagoda, Yezhov & Beria

3.2.3Andropov & Late Opposition to Soviet Rule

3.2.4End of Topic Test - Secret Police

3.3The State & Cultural Change

3.3.1Proletkult, Avant-Garde & Socialist Realism

3.3.2Nonconformity from the 1950s

3.3.3End of Topic Test - State & Cultural Change

3.3.4A-A* (AO3/4) - Control of the People

4Social Developments, 1917-35

4.1Social Security

4.1.1Full Employment Benefits

4.1.2Housing & Social Benefits

4.1.3Khrushchev, Brezhnev & Stable Society

4.1.4End of Topic Test - Social Security

4.2Women & Family

4.2.1Changing Status of Different Groups

4.2.2Changing Attitudes to Family

4.2.3Changing Attitudes to Family 2

4.2.4End of Topic Test - Women & Family

4.3Education & Young People

4.3.1Growth of Primary, Secondary & Higher Education

4.3.2Reduction of Illiteracy

4.3.3State Control of the Curriculum

4.3.4End of Topic Test - Education & Young People

4.3.5A-A* (AO3/4) - Social Developments

5Historical Interpretations

5.1What Explains the Fall of the USSR, 1985-91?

5.1.1Economic Weakness

5.1.2Attempts at Economic Reform

5.1.3Failure To Reform The Communist Party & Soviet Gov

5.1.4Impact of Reforms

5.1.5End of Topic Test - Economic Reform

5.1.6Impact of the Nationalist Resurgence

5.1.7Impact of the Nationalist Resurgence 2

5.1.8End of the USSR

5.1.9Gorbachev & Yeltsin's Responsibility

5.1.10End of Topic Test - Nationalist Resurgence

5.1.11A-A* (AO3/4) - Explaining the Fall of the USSR

Jump to other topics