1. Russia 1953 Stalin dies 1953 Multiple leaders 1955- Nikita Khrushchev
DESTALINIZATION
“secret speech”-Stalin’s actions revealed
Relied on Politburo
Peaceful co-existence
Multiple Leaders- Georgy Malenkov, Vyacheslav Molotov, Nikita Khrushchev
Destalinization: the methods of the old dictator were being changed for a more reasonable was of governement. Khrushchev denounces Stalin and unveils the atrocities performed during Stalin era and his forced collectivization in his secret speech. Was not accepted well by everyone. There were many people who still aligned with Stalin’s policies.
Khrushchev relied on the support from Politburo: party’s inner group of leader. He would keep support by filling some important positions with friends and family members.
Peaceful coexistence: West and Communist world to live together in peace.

2. 1955-64 Nikita Kruschev Positives Negatives
Economic reform: consumer goods
Centralized control abolished
Regional Economic Councils
Peaceful co-existence
Agriculture
Virgin Lands Project
Unconventional behavior
Cuban Missile Crisis
Sino-Soviet Spilt
Personality cult
Industry turned to production of consumer goods: TV’s, fridges, vacuums, stoves, sewing machines to raise the standard of living for Russians
# of refrigerators rose from 49, to by 1958.
Living standards rose because Russians had an increase in wages as well and industry was more efficient-Regional Economic Councils.
Managers of factories could make their own decisions and encouraged to to make profit- higher the profit, higher the wages.
Openness between East and West was introduced. World Fairs, sports events, less censorship, artistic and political freedoms allowed the East to have a view of what was available in the west.
Virgin Lands Project: Siberia and Kazakhstan (75 million acres) turned into farm land. Initially successful but overuse of land created non fertile land and the dust bowls blew away good soil.
Sino-Soviet Split- technicians, scientists, industrial workers that were sent to help modernize China were pulled out because Soviets thought China was moving too quickly. They now became a threat to Soviet power. Promise of help towards China’s atomic bomb was abolished.
Khrushchev started to move towards a personality cult which was what he denounced in his secret speech in relation to Stalin’s reign. With his support from followers and friends and family holding positions it was coming close to looking like it.

3. Leonid Brezhnev
Tightened control over criticism and artistic freedom
Prague Spring-Czechoslovakia
Middle East, Vietnam
Soviet STAGNATION
Detente- “release from tension” reduce the threat of conflict even though they continue to disagree.
(Nixon and Brezhnev)
SALT 1: Strategic Arms Limitation Talks
After Khrushchev retreated from Cuban Missile Crisis- his power started to crumble. Brezhnev took power from him.
He tightened control over the freedoms and liberalism seen during Khrushchev’s time.
His main conflicts that he dealt with were in the Middle East and Vietnam
He turned the focus of funds away from consumer production and put it back towards industrialization, strengthening the military, funding the nuclear arms race and the space race. This shifted the focus of raising the living standards to maintaining superpower status backed by a strong military presence. Economic stagnation.
Even though he focused on military/defense mechanisms, he was willing to negotiate with the US over the nuclear arms race.
Brezhnev adopted the policy of détente: to reduce the threat of conflict between the two superpowers even though they continue to disagree on politics.
An example of détente is SALT. Richard Nixon and Brezhnev established the “Strategic Arms Limitation Talks” This would freeze the development of inter continental ballistic missiles but would allow old missiles to be replaced with new ones.

4. Uprisings
“Polish October”- Poland uprising 1956 “Hungary 1956”- Hungarian uprising “Prague Spring”- Czechoslovakia uprisings