Questions on Daniels for Week 12
The Death of Stalin and the Collective Leadership (Slepov, "Collectivity is the Highest Principle," Pravda, April 1953)
According to Slepov, how should the party be led now that Stalin was dead?
How were decisions to be made?
Could we consider this essay as a criticism of Stalin? Explain.
The Purge of Beria (Pravda editorial, July 1953)
According to this editorial, what crimes had Beria committed?
In the Stalin era, people who were to be purged were accused of being enemies of the people. Was Beria accused of being an enemy of the people? Explain.
What sort of things had Beria supposedly wrecked or tried to wreck?
Could we consider this editorial as a criticism of Stalin? Explain.
Suny says that Beria's arrest meant that the secret police would no longer terrorize the party and the government. What in this document supports Suny's point?
The "New Course"--Malenkov on Agriculture (August 1953 speech)
What were the main priorities of Malenkov's "New Course"?
How did he intend to change agriculture and attain higher levels of productivity?
If you were a collective farmer, would you consider these changes good or bad? Explain.
The Rise of Khrushchev: The Virgin Lands Program (Feb. 1957 report to CC)
How did Khrushchev propose increasing agricultural output?
Why did Khrushchev consider grain production so important?
Where did Khrushchev propose the USSR open new farmland?
What did Khrushchev say would be needed to farm this land?
The Fall of Malenkov (Feb. 1955 resignation statement)
What reasons did Malenkov give for resigning as Prime Minister?
What "errors" did Malenkov admit to? What kind of economic policy did he now "recognize" as correct?
How did Malenkov's removal from office in 1955 differ from Beria's? (Or from those removed under Stalin?) Was he removed from the party-leadership?
"De-Stalinization" (a short excerpt from Khrushchev's 1956 "Secret Speech")
In this speech, what does Khrushchev say about Stalin's method of ruling?
According to Khrushchev, what did Stalin do right?
According to Khrushchev, what did Stalin do wrong?
According to Khrushchev, was the concept "enemy of the people" useful? Explain.
According to Khrushchev, were all the people purged in 1937-38 really enemies?
Did Khrushchev criticize Stalin's foreign policy? Explain.
What did Khrushchev have to say about Stalin's "cult of personality"?
How did Khrushchev explain the behavior of Politburo members (like himself) under Stalin?
According to Khrushchev, how should the USSR be led?
The Anti-Party Group (CC Resolution, June 1957)
What did the Central Committee accuse the Anti-Party Group (Malenkov, Kaganovich, Molotov, and Shepilov) of having done wrong?
How had the Anti-Party Group supposedly harmed industry?
How had the Anti-Party Group supposedly harmed agriculture?
How had the Anti-Party Group supposedly harmed the de-Stalinization process?
How had the Anti-Party Group supposedly harmed foreign policy?
How had the Anti-Party Group supposedly broken part rules?
Were the Anti-Party Group accused of being spies of enemies of the people?
How were the Anti-Party Group to be punished?