The XXth Century Political History of Russia: lecture materials

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PREFACE

INTRODUCTION. Theme 1. THE STUDY OF MODERN RUSSIAN HISTORY: MAIN CHARACTERISTICS AND TRENDS

Theme 2. RUSSIA AT THE BEGINNING OF THE 20TH CENTURY: ITS SELF-IMAGE, ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL ORGANIZATION, AND CONTRADICTIONS OF ITS DEVELOPMENT

Theme 3. FESTIVAL OF THE OPPRESSED OR SOCIAL DISEASE? THE NATURE OF THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTIONS

Theme 4. EMERGENCY MEASURES AND THE «EXTREME EMERGENCY REGIME» IN THE SOVIET REPUBLIC AND OTHER STATE FORMATIONS ON THE TERRITORY OF RUSSIA, 1918‒1920

Theme 5. FROM «WAR COMMUNISM» TO THE NEW ECONOMIC POLICY: CONTRADICTIONS OF THE NEP

Theme 6. NEP DOWNSIZING AND THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE POLICY OF EXTRAORDINARY MEASURES INTO A PERMANENT SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT

Theme 7. THE 1930S: CRISES, REFORMS, REPRESSIONS

Theme 8. THE HIERARCHY OF THE GREAT TERROR

Theme 9. ILLUSIONS AND AWAKENING OF THE GENERATION OF 1930S

Theme 10. THE GREAT PATRIOTIC WAR 1941‒1945: MAIN EVENTS AND POPULAR MOOD IN THE UNOCCUPIED SOVIET UNION

Theme 11. THE PEOPLE AND PROBLEMS OF THE POST-WAR ERA

Theme 12. THE KHRUSHCHEV’S THAW AND ITS REVERSE SIDE

Theme 13. SIXTIES AND SEVENTIES: FROM REFORMS TO STAGNATION

Theme 14. THE 1980S: THE SPACE OF POWER AND A SEARCH FOR NEW WAYS OF HISTORICAL PROGRESS

Theme 15. AUGUST PUTSCH OF 1991 AND THE TERMIDOR OF YELTSIN

CONTEMPORARY RUSSIA. WITH WHAT DOES RUSSIA ENTER THE NEW MILLENNIUM?. Theme 16. THE REALM OF POWER UNDER VLADIMIR PUTIN

Theme 17. REFORMS AND THE HIERARCHY OF NATIONAL PROJECTS

Theme 18. LOCATING OF THE REVOLUTIONARY PERIOD OF 1917 IN RUSSIAN HISTORICAL MEMORY

Theme 19. THE GREAT VICTORY OF 1945 IN HISTORICAL MEMORY

Theme 20. TWENTIETH-CENTURY RUSSIAN UTOPIAS: ARCHAEOLOGY OF THE FUTURE AS IMAGINED BY THE STATE AND DESIRED BY THE INTELLIGENTSIA

MAIN EVENTS, DATES AND GLOSSARY

SELECTED BIOGRAPHIES

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Theme 12.
THE KHRUSHCHEV’S THAW AND ITS REVERSE SIDE

Thus, in March 1953 Stalin died. As he left no directions about a successor, there were three possible successors: Malenkov, Beria and Khrushchev. Malenkov succeeded Stalin as Chairman of the council of ministers. Beria headed the United Ministry of Internal Affairs and the State Security. Khrushchev took the leadership of the Secretariat of the CPSU Central Committee.

In June 1953 Beria, the most dangerous among Stalin’s possible successors, was arrested as a result of a «palace plot». He was executed in December. He had broken the rules of the game. He had tried to increase his power. The rest of the successors were afraid to reach out for a greater power, as they feared to follow Beria’s deadly fate. That is why any personal dictatorship became impossible after Stalin’s death.

A transformation of the power began. A «dictator’s» model seemed to become a thing of the past. But nobody could imagine the outline of the future State. There was only a vague slogan «collective leadership» as an alternative to the cult of personality.

When the term «cult of personality» appeared in the newspapers for the first time contemporaries didn’t regard that event as an omen of a drastic change. At the first the criticism of the cult didn’t go very far. Outwardly, everything seemed as before. But soon, the first source of social tension appeared up. Where? In forced labor camps, in the GULAG.

According to the latest calculations there were at that moment almost 1, 5 million people alive in the camps and colonies of the NKVD in 1945. During 8 post-war years the number of prisoners had increased. By 1953, there were a million more prisoners.

Stalin’s death raised hopes of amnesty for the prisoners and their rehabilitation. These hopes stirred up a rising wave of unrest which rolled over camps and colonies in 1953–1954. Something had to happen. Then Malenkov and Khrushchev took the first step. They authorized the amnesty, not only for criminals, but for political prisoners as well. Many camps were closed. Watch-towers fell; watchdogs were killed. In the cities, at railway stations, in the streets amnestied prisoners — the old men and women with grey hair and sunken eyes, could be seen everywhere.

Aged wives and grown-up children waited for them at home, if anybody waited at all.

Many of the returned soon died. They could not adapt themselves to a free life, couldn’t swallow a «drink of freedom».

Those were the first steps: from the permanent civil war to a civil peace. The closing of camps was an enormous change. But this had to be supported by economic measures, which were to be conducted in the long run. The Government shifted to a course of a social re-orientation of economics. In August 1954 Malenkov announced a reduction of agricultural tax by about 50%, providing thus more ample opportunities for the development of the Kolkhoz market. Moreover, individual holdings of the kolkhozniks were increased. Paper reporting Malenkov’s decrees were read by the kolkhozniks over and over again. The kolkhozniks said: «He is on our side».

The countryside supported Malenkov. But «the apparatus» didn’t recognize him. Why? Maybe, it is because he wanted to fight the bureaucracy, because he spoke frequently about the degeneration of the State «apparatus», about and corruption. That was what the bureaucrats were afraid of. In the long run, this tactical error cost Malenkov his career. At that time government functioned only through the «apparatus». Hence, only those who kept the «apparatus» under their control could be masters of the situation. Malenkov had overestimated his power. Khrushchev understood this and began to use the support of the apparatchiki suit his own ends.

История Bordyugov G., Devyatov S., Kotelenet E. The XXth Century Political History of Russia: lecture materials

История Bordyugov G., Devyatov S., Kotelenet E. The XXth Century Political History of Russia: lecture materials

The XXth Century Political History of Russia presents lecture materials for academics working with undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate students as well as researchers of Russian history.<br /> The chapters are an unusual insight into the Russian past, which makes the readers think, analyze and also reconsider some events of the Russian history. It is an exciting blend of stories of the past and future trends, allowing to make forecasts and predictions.

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