THE SOVIET UNION BETWEEN THE 19th AND 20th PARTY CONGRESSES

Transcription

1 THE SOVIET UNION BETWEEN THE 19th AND 20th PARTY CONGRESSES

2 THE SOVIET UNION between the 19th AND 20th PARTY CONGRESSES ProeJschrift TER VERKRIJGING VAN DE GRAAD VAN DOCTOR IN DE LETTEREN EN WIJSBEGEERTE AAN DE RIJKSUNIVERSITEIT TE UTRECHT, OP GEZAG VAN DE RECTOR MAGNIFICUS DR. J. JONGBLOED, HOOGLERAAR IN DE FACULTEIT DER GENEESKUNDE, VOLGENS BESLUIT VAN DE SENAAT DER UNIVERSITEIT TEGEN DE BEDENKINGEN VAN DE FACULTEIT DER LETTEREN EN WIJSBEGEERTE TE VERDEDIGEN OP VRIJDAG 26 JUNI 1959, DES NAMIDDAGS TE 2 UUR PRECIES DOOR George Daniel Embree GEBOREN TE DE KALB, ILLINO~, U.SMA 'S-GRA VENHAGE MARTINUS NIJHOFF 1959

3 ISBN on-8p3-8 DOl 1O.1OO']/97I1-94-on ISBN on (ebook) PROMOTOR: PROF. DR. C. D. J. BRANDT SOFTCOVER REPRINT OF TIlE HARDCOVER 1ST EDmON 1959

4 To my parents

5 PREFACE The years between the Nineteenth and Twentieth Party Congresses of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union comprise one of the most eventful periods in the history of the USSR. It opened with the first CPSU gathering in 13 years at a time when the Soviet Union was beset by serious domestic and foreign difficulties and was passing through a transitional period in its development. It witnessed the death of J. V. Stalin who had exercized unquestioned authority for a quarter of a century; it felt the impact of the sweeping changes undertaken by his successors as they sought to cope with the immense problems facing the new regime; and it culminated in the Twentieth Party Congress which marked the closing of one phase of the post-stalin era and the opening of an equally challenging newone. It would be mistaken to consider this period between October 1952 and February 1956 as an isolated unit. In fact, most of its salient features have their roots deep in the past and the full implications of the momentous changes undertaken after Stalin's death have yet to be felt. Nevertheless, it does provide a convenient - although arbitrary - demarcation of an important phase of Soviet history. I wish to express my gratitude to Prof. Dr. C. D. J. Brandt under whose expert guidance this study was undertaken and written. I also wish to thank Dr. Z. R. Dittrich and Mr. R. Schuursma, members of the staff of the Historical Institute of the State University of Utrecht. The former's knowledge of the Russian language and Soviet history and the latter's assistance with the translation of German texts have been most valuable. I am indebted to the International Commission of Jurists in Geneva,

6 VIII PREFACE the Netherlands Royal Library, the Netherlands Institute of International Affairs, the Library of the Peace Palace in the Hague, and the Munich Radio Center for the extensive use of their research facilities. The Hague, The Netherlands June 1959

7 TABLE OF CONTENTS Preface VII Chapter I. THE NINETEENTH PARTY CONGRESS AND THE DEATH OF STALIN The Background to I952 I The Nineteenth Party Congress 4 The Emerging Pattern 13 The "Doctors' Plot" 19 The Death of Stalin 24 I Chapter II. THE POST-STALIN INTERREGNUM 29 The Initial Crisis and the Struggle for Power 29 Policy Changes at Home and Abroad 42 Beria's Bid for Power 51 Beria's Arrest and Its Repercussions 57 Chapter III. THE NEW FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC POLICIES 70 The End of the Interregnum 70 The Malenkov-Khrushchev Economic Program 75 The Literary Controversy 90 The Anti-religious Propaganda Campaign 98 Collective Leadership and the Struggle for Power!O7 The Virgin Lands Program rr6 The Consumers' Goods Program 125 The New Diplomacy I29 Germany, Austria, and the Berlin Conference 129 Indochina, Korea, and the Geneva Conference I37 The Soviet All-European Security Plan I43 Africa, the Middle East, and Asia I48 Economic Diplomacy IS7

8 x TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Chapter IV. DOMESTIC POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC CRISES 159 The Political Crisis 159 The Background 159 Malenkov's Resignation and Its Aftermath 169 The Continuing Economic Crisis 176 In Agriculture 176 In Industry 184 Chapter V. SOVIET FOREIGN POLICY: The New Approach 190 The Re-appraisal of Soviet Military Doctrine 192 The Bandung Conference 199 The A ustrian State Treaty 206 The Disarmament Negotiations 209 The Rapprochement with Yugoslavia 213 The Negotiation with Japan 223 The Military and Foreign Policy 225 The Pre-Geneva Maneuvering 228 The Summit Conference 234 The" Spirit of Geneva" 237 The Middle East and Soviet Diplomacy 242 The Stitfening Soviet Propaganda Line 250 The Foreign Ministers' Conference 253 The New Trend in Soviet Diplomacy 256 Chapter VI. THE TWENTIETH PARTY CONGRESS 260 The Announcement 260 The Internal Struggle for Power 261 The Stalin Image before the Congress 270 The Increased Flexibility of Soviet Policy 232 The Twentieth Party Congress 291 Foreign Policy 292 Economic Growth 306 Living Conditions 317 Destruction of the Stalin Myth 321 Collective Leadership 329

9 TABLE OF CONTENTS Appendix I. THE SECRETARIATS OF THE NON-RUSSIAN RE PUBLIC COMMUNIST PARTIES XI Page 334 Appendix II. CHANGES IN THE COMPOSITION OF THE CPSU AND NON-RUSSIAN REPUBLIC CENTRAL COMMITTIES AS THE RESULT OF THE I956 PARTY CONGRESSES 336 Appendix III. GLOSSARY OF COMMUNIST PERIODICALS AND BOOKS 337 Appendix IV. TYPICAL SOVIET WAGES AND PRICES IN MOSCOW AND NINE OTHER SOVIET CITIES: SEPTEMBER- OCTOBER I Biliography 34I Index 360