DeStalinization
The Origins
· Desalinization was an extremely sensitive issue, as if it was handed
badly, it could provoke unrest. The post Stalinist officials wished to
give the impression that they had not been involved in Stalin's crime,
but also wished to promote change from his style of leadership.
· Initially, prisoners were released from labor camps and other
criminals were rehabilitated, in order to buy time for a more major
action.
· In 1995 the central committee set up a commission that intended to
investigate Stalin's crimes. However, the commission was extremely
limited in what it could condemn. It was not allowed to denounce the
majority of Stalin's actions, such as his part in liquidating Trotsky,
his forced industrialization and collectivization, the general brutal
nature of his leadership, and the purges of the 1930's.
· As a result, the commissions report was relatively modest, focusing
mainly on the unfair persecution of loyal party workers, and of other
dedicated writers and intellectuals in the Soviet Union; however, in
the context of the Soviet Union, the report was perceived as far from
reserved.
· The Presidium decided that they would hold a modest attack on Stalin
at the Twentieth Part Congress. Khrushchev, wishing to firmly
establish his power base, seized this opportunity, modifying the
report into what would be known as his 'secret speech'.
· The actual speech took place in February of 1956, and was delivered
to Congress delegates and invited guests. It was many a fervent
condemnation of Stalin's crimes against leading officials and the
military between 1924 and 1953. However, ...
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...s, Khrushchev gave a considerably more
direct and public condemnation of Stalin, blaming him both for the
German attack of 1941 and his general inept leadership. The members of
the Anti-party group were publicly identified, and, symbolically,
Stalin was removed from the Lenin-Stalin mausoleum, signifying
Khrushchev intent to promote only Lenin as a figurehead of communist
authority. In the same year Stalingrad was renamed Volgograd.
· As Khrushchev continued his 'desalinization campaign, he alienated
more and more of the high level party members who did not agree with
what he was doing. Eventually, this was one of the key factors that
caused him to lose control of the Soviet Union in 1964.
Historiography
"Destalinisation was a stop-go policy, closely linked to events in
other policy areas" - Martin McCauley
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