Nikita Khrushchev
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Nikita Khrushchev improved, for the better, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic. Throughout his time of power, he strived to organize Russia and to improve its agricultural and industrial situation. His rise to power was not of the type found in Stalins past, but it was the basis for his style within the political realm of Russia. Even his fall was atypical to those that came before him (Funk & Wagnalls New Encyclopedia 359).
Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchevs tale of his rise to power was a long one, and very humbling. He was the son of a very poor farmer, and was born under the thatched roof of his grandfathers mud hut in a small village called Kalinovka, Russia. Khrushchevs grandfather was also a farmer, but was a serf to his master until Tzar Alexander II abolished it in 1861. When Khrushchev was fourteen, his father decided to abandon farming altogether and moved the family to a small industrial town in Ukraine named Yuzovka. While there, he worked as a miner in the local coal mine and when Khrushchev was old enough, reserved him a job as a fitter and mechanic in the local Bosse factory owned by a German company. It was here that Khrushchev realized how primitive Russian peasant life was compared to Western European technology (Paloczi-Horvath 15).
By 1914, tensions in Europe were at an all time high, and erupted finally in the same year. Although drafting was in effect during the time, Khrushchevs job was considered too important to the wartime effort to send him into combat. Khrushchev continued his work as a fitter and became increasingly active in the revolutionary activity that was sweeping across Russia (Gottfried 23).
For the next three years, Khrushchev supported the Red cause and aided them when he could and the time for revolution came in 1917, when the credibility of the government was doubted by nearly everyone. Civil War was waged between the Red Army, Bolshevik revolutionaries who wanted swift and immediate change to Communism (violent change if needed), and the White Army, that of the old Monarchy and the revolutionaries whose views differed from the Red Army. In 1918, Khrushchev joined Lenins Red Army and began to gain respect as a useful and loyal figure in the eyes of his superiors. By 1920, the Red Bolsheviks won out against the old king and set up a Socialist country (Schlesinger, Jr 33).
After the war, Khrushchev returned to Yuzovka and was appointed to assistant manager of the coal mine that had been taken over by the Russian workers. Faced with disorder in the organization of the workers and finding it hard to meet production deadlines, he began to attend the Donets Mining Technical School (Funk & Wagnalls New Encyclopedia 359).
His skill as an organizer and administrator truly emerged during his time as an assistant manager, but his lack of scholarly education was an obstacle to his career. As a member of a party whose supporters were expected to be familiar with the works of Karl Marx, a nineteenth century philosopher whose ideas formed the basis of Communism, he found himself at a serious disadvantage. He began to study Marxs Communist Manifesto (Paloczi-Horvath 30).
In 1923, His studying paid off when he was assigned to the position of secretary of the schools Communist party organization. By this time Khrushchev had grasped the basic understanding of Marxist thought. However, he always retained his common sense as a worker and didnt focus exclusively on the theory (Schlesinger, Jr 42).
The newly formed Russian government was changed forever just a year later as Vladimir Lenin died on January 24, 1924. His successor was not clearly given, and thus, a competition between his successors began. A man by the name of Stalin rose above the rest as he eliminated his rivals and claimed dictator of the Soviet Union. Due to his loyalty to the cause, one of Stalins officials appointed Khrushchev as the Communist party secretary of the Yuzovka region (Gottfried 57).
For the next fifteen years Stalin constricted his hold on the Communist government. As the process continued, his methods of control became increasingly brutal. If he even suspected of an enemy in his midst, he would either shoot him on the spot or send him to life-long imprisonment. This caused fear to spread throughout the Russian political world (Schlesinger, Jr 42).
Khrushchevs political career truly began to speed up through this time, and even he was affected by Stalins rule. To be a successful politician during Stalins dictatorship, Khrushchev was forced to be ruthless in his dealings and unmerciful in his actions (“Communism.” 359).
Khrushchevs first appointment in the Kremlin of Moscow came, in 1929, when he was appointed to chief of Industrial Academy. During his time at the Kremlin, he met Stalins wife Nadezha. In just two years he had impressed Stalin enough to be appointed as secretary of one of the citys party districts. Four years later he advanced to the position of first secretary of the Moscow party committee, and in 1939, he became a member of the politburo, the partys inner circle and its most powerful decision-making body (Paloczi-Horvath 45).
By World War Two, Khrushchev was assigned to the political and military chief of the Kiev Special Military District. However, German troops soon captured Kiev, and he was forced to retreat to Stalingrad. While there, he held off a major German offensive and forced the surrender on January 31, 1943. From then on, he was continually moved eastward while pushing back the German army. As the war continued, Khrushchev became aware of Stalins weaknesses. By the wars end in 1945, Khrushchev was promoted to lieutenant general in recognition to his wartime efforts (Schlesinger, Jr 68).
Despite the wars terrible cost in money, manpower, and technology, Stalin returned to his prewar tactics that demanded quick successes and sacrifices by his countrys people. Stalin ordered Khrushchev to rebuild the Ukraine territory, which had been torn apart by the effects of the war. Khrushchev was struck by the enormous scale of destruction caused by the war and the defeated look of the poor farm families. Despite his speeches to the populace, he could not inspire them to work for their recovery (Gottfried 27).
During the postwar period of reconstruction, Stalin experienced both a physical and a mental deterioration. Although he trusted Khrushchev and left him alone to do his work, he played political power games that pitted Soviet officials against each other. This way, he would eliminate his rivals be allowing them to butcher themselves. Khrushchev, on the other hand, thrived in his environment, and his assignment helped him develop the boisterous style that would later become his trademark (Paloczi-Horvath