Questions on Daniels for Week 13
The Thaw in Cultural Life (essay from Voprosy Filosofii, 1956)
How did the official attitude towards the role of the artist in Soviet society change during the 1956-57 "thaw"? (See especially the discussion of "free competition" in this essay.)
Remember that we discussed the banning of a 1936 opera by Shostakovich (after Stalin walked out of its first performance); what does this 1956 essay say about the way Shostakovich's opera had been treated by the critics? Why is that important?
How does this essay criticize stalinist cultural policies? How does it (indirectly) criticize Stalin himself?
Does the essay call for more or less party control over the arts? Explain.
The Promise of a Communist Future (1961 Party Program)
How did the 1961 party program describe the "future" world of Communism? What would this society be like?
When was the USSR supposed to "reach" Communism?
What would the state be like under Communism?
What must the party do in order to obtain the Communist future?
Harebrained Schemes: Khrushchev's Division of the Party Apparatus (Nov. 1962 CC resolution)
How did Khrushchev propose reorganizing the party bureaucracy in 1962 and why?
The Fall of Khrushchev
A) Suslov's Secret Speech (1964)
What were the main charges that Suslov made against Khrushchev regarding:
the cult of personality and abuses of power?
reorganization of the party apparatus?
violations of the principle of collective leadership?
economic policy?
foreign policy?
B) Communiqué of the Central Committee (16 October 1964)
How did the central Committee formally explain Khrushchev's departure from office?