Nikita Khrushchev's Secret Speech

Contents of Presentation Background information Analysis of speech

Background Information What does this photo suggest about the state of the Soviet Union after Stalin’s death?

Who is Nikita Khrushchev? leader of the Soviet Union during part of the Cold War era one of the party officials competing for leadership after the death of Stalin top party official during Stalin’s reign as leader of the Soviet Union

When was the speech delivered? The speech began on February 24, 1956 just before midnight. The speech took place less than three years after Stalin’s death. The speech was a closed-door, secret meeting during the 20th Communist Party Congress. The speech lasted for approximately four hours. (It contained approximately 26,000 words!)

To whom was the speech delivered? Party delegates (the most powerful Communist leaders and figures at the time) were summoned unexpectedly. Of these delegates, some were loyal to Stalin, and many aided/supported Stalin during his reign. Many of the delegates had benefitted from Stalin’s reign of terror.

What was the speech’s purpose? to criticize and expose Stalin’s oppression (e.g., purges of 1936-38) to continue the process of de-stalinization to denounce the “cult of personality” during Stalin’s reign to embrace the true ideals of communism

How did the audience react? Party delegates were stunned and listened in silence. Critics and victims of Stalin, the intelligentsia, and reformers hailed the speech. People in Georgia (Stalin’s home province) protested. Leaders of other Communist countries asked Khruschev to renounce de-stalinization.

Analysis of the Speech What do you remember about Stalin’s terror from our study of Animal Farm?

“Cult of Personality” Look at the propaganda poster on the right. What do you think the term “cult of personality” means?

“Cult of Personality” “[The cult of personality] elevate[s] one person, to transform him into a superman possessing supernatural characteristics, akin to those of a god. Such a man supposedly knows everything, sees everything, thinks for everyone, can do anything, is infallible in his behaviour.”

Lenin versus Stalin “genius of the revolution” “great modesty” “never imposed his views by force” “gave instructions to stop mass terror and to abolish the death penalty” “impos[ed] his concepts” “demand[ed] absolute submission to his opinion” “use[d] the cruellest repression”

Khruschev’s Appeal to Authority Like Old Major, Lenin represents the pure ideals of communism. Khruschev describes Lenin’s ideas as utopian and Stalin’s reign as dystopian. Khruschev continually refers to Lenin’s ideas and quotes Lenin often. “I will note comment on these documents. They speak eloquently for themselves.”

Lenin’s Opinion of Stalin “After taking over the position of general secretary, comrade Stalin accumulated immeasurable power in his hands and I am not certain whether he will be always to use this power with the required care…I propose that the comrades consider the method by which Stalin would be removed from this position and by which another man would be selected for it, a man who, above all, would differ from Stalin in only one quality, namely, greater tolerance, greater loyalty, greater kindness.”

Words Associated with Stalin “perversions of party principles, of party democracy, of revolutionary legality” “deviated from [Lenin’s] precepts” “brutal violation of socialist legality” “violation of party democracy” “deviations of all sorts” “vanishings of reality”

Tone, Voice and Language Khruschev was described as emotional and passionate. He does not decorate his speech with figurative language. He can be described as direct and straightforward. His tone can also be described as factual.

Tone, Voice and Language Khruschev does not use propaganda: his weapon is the truth.

Rhetorical Strategies Khruschev uses rhetorical questions often. How, then, can we believe that such people had joined the camps of the enemies of socialism?” Khruschev uses anaphora as he repeats “Comrades!” often.

Rhetorical Strategies He uses figurative language seldomly. METAPHOR: He does not want to give ammunition to his enemies. ANALOGY: He does not want to wash dirty linen before their enemies eyes.

Bibliography Crozier, B. (2000). The rise and fall of the Soviet Empire. Roseville: Forum. Medvedev, R. (1978). Khruschev: The years in power. New York: W. W. Norton and Company, 1978. Siegelbaum, L. (2011). “1956: Khruschev’s secret speech.” Seventeen points in Soviet history. National Endowments for Humanities. Retrieved 4 April 2011 <http://www.soviethistory.org/index.php?page=subject&SubjectID=1956secret&Year=1956>