This article gives a brief biography of NS Khrushchev, describes his political activities both inside the country and outside it. Also, the minuses of Khrushchev's rule and its pluses are determined, and the activity of this political leader is assessed.

Khrushchev: Biography. Carier start

Nikita Khrushchev (years of life: 1894-1971) was born in the Kursk province (Kalinovka village) in the family of peasants. In the winter, he studied at school, in the summer worked as a shepherd. From his childhood he worked as a laborer. So, at the age of 12 Khrushchev was already working in the mine, and before that - at the factory.

During the First World War, he was not called to the front, since he was a miner. I took an active part in the life of the country. Nikita Sergeevich was accepted into the Bolshevik Party in 1918 and participated on their side in the Civil War.

After the establishment of Soviet power Khrushchev engaged in political and economic activities. In 1929 he entered the Industrial Academy in Moscow, where he was elected secretary of the party committee. Worked as the second, and then the first secretary of the IGC.

Khrushchev is quickly given a career growth. Already in 1938 he became the first secretary of the Central Committee of the Ukrainian SSR. During the Great Patriotic War he was appointed to the post of commissioner of the highest rank. The first time after the end of the war, NS Khrushchev was the head of the government of Ukraine. Six months after Stalin's death in 1953, he became the first secretary of the CPSU Central Committee.

Rise to power

After the death of Joseph Vissarionovich in the party circles there was an opinion about the so-called collective leadership. In fact, the internal political struggle was boiling in the ranks of the CPSU. As a result, Khrushchev came to the post of first secretary of the CPSU Central Committee in September 1953.

Such uncertainty as to who should lead the country took place because Stalin himself never sought a successor and expressed his preference for who should lead the USSR after his death. Party leaders were absolutely not ready for this.

However, before joining the country's main post Khrushchev had to get rid of other possible candidates for this post - GM Malenkov and LP Beria. As a result of the unsuccessful attempt to seize power in 1953, Khrushchev decided to neutralize it, having secured Malenkov's support. After that, the only obstacle to him in the face of Malenkov was also eliminated.

Domestic policy

The domestic policy of the country in the time of Khrushchev can not be considered unequivocally bad or definitely good. Much has been done for the development of agriculture. This was especially noticeable until 1958. New virgin lands were being developed, peasants were given greater freedom, some elements of a market economy were emerging.

However, after 1958 the actions of the country's leadership, and in particular Khrushchev, began to aggravate the economic situation in the country. The methods of administrative regulation restricting agriculture have been applied. A partial ban on the maintenance of cattle was imposed. A huge number of livestock was destroyed. The situation of the peasants was aggravated.

The ambiguous idea of mass cultivation of corn only worsened the situation of people. Corn was planted and in those territories of the country where it certainly could not get accustomed. The country has a food crisis. In addition, unsuccessful economic reforms, which almost led to a default in the country, had a negative impact on the financial possibilities of citizens.

However, one can not fail to note the great achievements that the USSR achieved in the reign of Khrushchev. This is a tremendous leap forward in the space sphere, and a large-scale development of science, especially the chemical industry. The scientific research institutes were created, huge territories for agriculture were mastered.

In general, we can talk about the failure to achieve the goals set by Nikita Sergeyevich both in the economic sphere and in the social and cultural sphere. In this regard, it should be noted that Khrushchev was going to create and bring up a truly communist society over the next twenty years. For this, in particular, an unsuccessful school reform was carried out.

The onset of thaw

The time of Khrushchev's rule marked a new socio-cultural turn in the life of the country. Creative people received in a certain sense more freedom, theaters began to open, new magazines began to appear. In the USSR, the art that was uncharacteristic of the existing socialist regime began to develop, and exhibitions began to appear.

Changes have also affected freedom in the country as a whole. Political prisoners began to emerge, the era of brutal repression and executions was left behind.

At the same time, we can note the increased oppression of the Orthodox Church by the state, hardware control over the creative life of the intelligentsia. There were arrests and persecution of unwanted writers. So, with them in full measure had to face Pasternak for his novel "Doctor Zhivago". The arrests continued for "anti-Soviet activities".

De-Stalinization

Khrushchev's speech with a report "On the cult of personality and its consequences" at the 20th Party Congress in 1956 produced a furore not only in party circles proper, but also in the public consciousness as a whole. Many citizens thought about the materials that were allowed for publication.

The report did not mention either the flaws of the system itself or the erroneous course of communism. The state itself was not criticized. Criticism was only the cult of personality developed during the years of Stalin's leadership. Khrushchev mercilessly denounced the crimes and injustices, spoke of the deportees, of the illegally executed ones. Criticized and unjustified arrests, fabricated criminal cases.

Khrushchev's rule, therefore, was to mark a new era in the life of the country, proclaim recognition of past mistakes and prevent them from happening again in the future. And indeed, with the arrival of the new head of state, executions ceased, arrests were reduced. The camp prisoners were released into prison.

Khrushchev and Stalin in the methods of government were significantly different. Nikita Sergeyevich tried not to use Stalinist methods even in the struggle with his political opponents. He did not shoot his own opponents and did not organize mass arrests.

Transfer of the Crimea of the USSR

At present, speculations about the transfer of the Crimea to Ukraine are flared up with even greater force than before. In 1954, the peninsula Crimea was transferred from the RSFSR to the Ukrainian SSR, initiated by Khrushchev. Ukraine, thus, has never received her previously owned territory. This decision was the reason for the emergence of problems between Russia and Ukraine after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

There is a huge number of opinions, including frankly incredible, about the real reasons that made Khrushchev take this step. They explained it both with an impulse of generosity of Nikita Sergeyevich, and with a sense of responsibility and guilt towards the people of Ukraine for the repressive policy of Stalin. However, the most likely are just a few theories.

So, there is an opinion that the peninsula was transferred by the Soviet leader as a payment to the Ukrainian leadership for help in nominating the first secretary of the Central Committee. Also, according to the official point of view of that period, the reason for the transfer of the Crimea was the significant event - the 300th anniversary of the union of Russia with Ukraine. In this regard, the transfer of Crimea was considered "evidence of the boundless trust of the great Russian people to the Ukrainian people".

There are opinions that the Soviet leader did not have any authority to redistribute borders within the country, and the exclusion of the peninsula from the RSFSR was absolutely illegal. Nevertheless, according to another opinion, this act was carried out for the benefit of the inhabitants of the Crimea. This is explained by the fact that in the composition of Russia, due to the unprecedented migration of entire peoples in the Stalin era, Crimea only worsened its economic performance. Despite all the efforts of the country's leadership to voluntarily relocate people to the peninsula, the situation there remained negative.

That is why it was decided to redistribute internal borders, which should significantly improve economic ties between Ukraine and the peninsula and contribute to its greater population. To be fair, it should be noted that this decision subsequently brought a significant improvement in the economic situation in the Crimea.

Foreign policy

Khrushchev, coming to power, understood the perniciousness and danger of a cold war between the Soviet Union and the Western countries. Before him, Malenkov suggested that the US improve interstate relations, fearing a possible direct collision of the blocs after Stalin's death.

Khrushchev also understood that the nuclear confrontation was too dangerous and harmful for the Soviet state. During this period, he sought to find common ground with representatives of the West, and in particular the United States. Communism was not considered by him as the only possible way of development of the state.

Thus, Khrushchev, whose historical portrait in connection with the described actions acquired some concessions, aimed foreign policy in a sense to rapprochement with the West, where they also understood all the benefits of the changes that were being planned.

Deterioration of international relations

At the same time, debunking the personality cult of Stalin had a negative impact on relations between the USSR and communist China. In addition, the international situation began to slowly but surely get worse. A lot of this was promoted by the aggression of Italy, France and Israel, aimed at Egypt. Khrushchev perfectly understood the vital interests of the USSR in the East and noted that the Soviet Union can provide direct military assistance to those who have been subjected to international aggression.

The intensified creation of military-political blocs also began. So, in 1954, SEATO was created. In addition, the FRG was admitted to NATO. In response to these West actions, Khrushchev created a military-political bloc of socialist states. It was established in 1955 and is decorated by concluding the Warsaw Pact. The member countries of the Warsaw Pact were the USSR, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Albania, Hungary, Bulgaria.

In addition, relations with Yugoslavia have improved. Thus, the USSR also recognized a different model for the development of communism.

In this regard, it should be noted dissatisfaction in the countries of the socialist camp, which significantly intensified after the already mentioned XX Congress of the CPSU. Especially strong discontent broke out in Hungary and Poland. And if in the last conflict it was possible to solve in a peaceful way, then in Hungary the events led to a bloody culmination when Soviet troops were brought into Budapest.

First and foremost, Khrushchev's shortcomings in foreign policy, according to many historians, were his excessive emotionality and his demonstrative manifestation of his character, which aroused fear and bewilderment on the part of the Western bloc countries.

Caribbean crisis

The intensity of relations between the USSR and the USA continued to put the world on the brink of nuclear catastrophe. The first serious exacerbation occurred in 1958 after Khrushchev's proposal in West Germany to change its status and create a demilitarized zone inside itself. Such a proposal was rejected, which caused an aggravation of relations between the superpowers.

Khrushchev also strove to support uprisings and popular discontent in those regions of the world where the United States enjoyed great influence. At the same time, the States themselves strongly strengthened pro-American governments around the world and economically helped their allies.

In addition, the Soviet Union developed intercontinental ballistic weapons. This could not but cause fear for the United States. At the same time in 1961 the Second Berlin crisis began to flare up . The leadership of West Germany began to create a wall separating the GDR from Germany. This step aroused the discontent of Khrushchev and the entire Soviet leadership.

However, the most dangerous moment in relations between the USSR and the United States was the Caribbean crisis. After Khrushchev's decision to create a nuclear fist in Cuba against the United States, the world for the first time in history was literally in the balance of destruction. Of course, it was Khrushchev that provoked the United States to respond. His historical portrait, however, is full of such ambiguous decisions, which fully fit in with the general behavior of the first secretary of the Central Committee. The culmination of events occurred on the night of October 27 to October 28, 1962. Both powers were ready to strike a preemptive nuclear strike against each other. However, both Khrushchev and then US President Kennedy understood that a nuclear war would not leave behind either winners or losers. To the relief of the whole world, the prudence of both leaders prevailed.

At the end of the reign

Khrushchev, whose historical portrait is ambiguous, due to his life experience and peculiarities of character, aggravated an already extremely tense international situation and at times negated his own achievements.

In the last years of his reign, Nikita Sergeyevich made more mistakes in domestic politics. The life of the population gradually became worse. Due to ill-conceived decisions on the shelves of shops, it was often not only meat, but also white bread. The power of Khrushchev and his authority gradually faded and lost power.

Discontent arose in the party circle. Khrushchev's chaotic and not always considered decisions and reforms could not but cause the Party leadership to fear and irritation. One of the last drops was the mandatory rotation of party figures, which was adopted by Khrushchev. His biography during this period is marked by ever greater failures associated with the adoption of ill-conceived decisions. Nevertheless, Nikita Sergeyevich continued to work with enviable enthusiasm and even was the initiator of the adoption of the new Constitution in 1961.

However, the party leadership and the people as a whole are already tired of the often chaotic and unpredictable management of the country by the first secretary of the Central Committee. October 14, 1964 at the Plenum of the CPSU Central Committee, unexpectedly caused by the leave, NS Khrushchev was dismissed from all previously held positions. In official documents it was said that the change of the party leader was due to the old age of Khrushchev and health problems. After that, Nikita Sergeyevich was sent to retirement.

Evaluation of activities

Despite the fair criticism of historians about Khrushchev's internal and external political course, the oppression of cultural figures and the deterioration of economic life in the country, Nikita Sergeyevich can be called precisely the person who led her to great national achievements. Among them is the launch of the first artificial satellite, the first person to go into space , and the construction of the world's first nuclear power plant, and not so unambiguous testing of the hydrogen bomb.

It should be understood that Khrushchev significantly stepped up the development of science in the country. His historical portrait, despite all the ambiguity and unpredictability of his personality, can be supplemented with a stable and strong desire to improve the lives of ordinary people in the country, to make the USSR the leading world power. Among other achievements, one can note the creation of the nuclear icebreaker Lenin, which was also initiated by Khrushchev. Briefly it can be said of him as a man striving to strengthen the country both internally and externally, but committed serious mistakes. Nevertheless, Khrushchev's personality rightfully takes its place on the pedestal of the great Soviet leaders.