Nikita Khrushchev
Ники́та Серге́евич Хрущёв (nih-KEE-tah khroo-SHCHYOFF) Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev was born into a poor family in 1894, not knowing then that he would become one of the few Soviet Premiers in what was once known as the U.S.S.R., or the Union Of Soviet Socialist Republics. Born near the Ukraine in Russia, Nikita was sent to work at the very young age of 14 in a factory, since his family could not live off their farm anymore. This is where Nikita was first exposed to communism, and by the time he was our age (i.e. his early twenties or even late teens); he could be considered a full, red-blooded communist. Khrushchev’s political career began during the Russian Revolution of 1917 when he joined the Bolsheviks and became a political commissar. His formal training in Marxism (I am not joking) took place at a technical college in Russia. Eventually, Khrushchev found himself working under a close disciple of Iosif Stalin. In the fallout and power struggle from Vladimir Lenin’s death in 1924, Khrushchev found himself on the winning side, supporting Stalin instead of Lenin’s favored successor, Lev Trotsky. The more powerful Stalin became, Khrushchev did well politically, and was eventually put in charge of the [[Moscow]] subway system construction in 1935. By 1939, Khrushchev was a full member of the [Politburo]. The 1930s were an extremely violent, brutal, and dark part of Russian history, where I am sure numerous bottles of their fine [vodka] was consumed. During Khrushchev’s own reign over the Russian state, I think he somehow managed to forget his own associations with this terror, murders, and exterminations of people and ideas. During World War II, Khrushchev was the head of the Communist Party in the Ukraine, and due to his location, saw the destruction and damage done to the Russian land and people during this time period. Soon after the war ended, Khrushchev was sent back to [[Moscow]] where he became a top advisor for [Stalin]. In his own memoirs, Khrushchev was to later state that [Stalin] loved to play word games, trying to trick you into saying something he disagreed with. Perhaps that statement would be more significant if I explained to you that Iosif Stalin harshly, and brutally punished dissidence around him. But, I must stop digressing, but only after I make the point that Khrushchev, in addition to [Stalin], was to be well-known for having Yes Men around him as well. Following [Stalin]’s death in 1953, Khrushchev became the leader of the Communist party in Russia and Nikolai Bulganin became [Stalin]’s direct successor. Khrushchev became the leading figure however. Initiating many reforms and known for breaking with Soviet tradition, Khrushchev was taken from power by Leonid Brezhnev in the mid-1960s. In his retirement, Khrushchev wrote his memoirs and died in 1971. HOLD ON… Wait just a gosh darn cotton pickin’ minute…. I skipped over the most important stuff! Wasn’t there a bunch of flying pigs or something that Khrushchev was involved in?! And didn’t he like to vacation in Cuba or Disneyland or something? (I digress once again)
In terms of Russian/Soviet culture and mentalities: Nikita Khrushchev was both a figure of a new and old Soviet mentality in my opinion (I am totally just typing whatever comes out of my mind at this point, so these brilliant ideas could have already been written up in some history journal by a dead white guy). When I say the old Soviet mentality, I mean the communist and dictatorial thought that was common within Soviet leaders. Khrushchev represented this old-school idea by not allowing dissidence. For example, in Budapest, [Hungary] in 1956, Khrushchev sent tanks into the area to brutally put down a rebellion. He also was known to punish those around him who dared to speak contrary to his beliefs. Winston Churchill’s famous term for Soviet rule- the Iron Curtain- still was a permanent fixture of Nikita Khrushchev’s rule. Perhaps this was because Khrushchev was a product of the Russian Revolution and being so close to the front lines in wars Russia was involved with. As a child of the Revolution or perhaps more accurately a participant, Khrushchev’s thought became molded to that of Lenin or [Stalin]. Perhaps where he differed though, and showed a new type of Soviet mentality, was because he, unlike Lenin, saw the brutality and effects of the wars and communism could bring. When I say the new soviet mentality, I mean ideas in opposition to the classic Communist Russian thought. Seeing his father work two jobs and not have ends meet, being a Red soldier in 1917, to seeing the front lines in the Ukraine in World War II, Khrushchev saw the need for reform, which he advocated throughout his tenure as Russian Premier. Khrushchev reorganized agriculture, introduced the Councils of People’s Economy (sovnarkhozes), built tons of apartment buildings, emphasized the production of consumer goods, and more. This reform allowed something that [Stalin] nor Lenin would never put up with- independence movements in several satellites. In so many ways, Khrushchev put the seeds of a sort of progressive thought in the minds of the Russians by doing things that had never been done before by any Russian leader. For example, one of Khrushchev’s most historic speeches was in 1956 before the 20th Duma. Khrushchev attacked [Stalin] for his brutal crimes (but failed to mention his own involvement with these actions, as stated earlier). He also de-censored several books. It was a sort of new soviet mentality.
In terms of foreign relations: 
Khrushchev’s reign, though short, was also marked by several foreign relation crises of the West. Khrushchev had a bad temper and could have easily started a nuclear war with specifically the United States on several occasions. After all, this was the Cold War. However, with his progressive thought, or my “new Soviet mentality” term, Khrushchev was the first to support a “peaceful coexistence” with the West, which was a major foreign policy change for Russia. The Bay Of Pigs did not really involved Khrushchev unlike the Cuban Missile Crisis did. These [Thirteen Days] were some of the most tense days in terms of Cold War, and was the first and only nuclear confrontation between the U.S. and Soviets. The U.S.S.R. was placing long-range, surface to air (SAM) missiles in Cuba, which were being aimed at the United States, discovered in September of 1962 by American U-2 spy planes. Ex- COMM, or the Executive Committee Of The National Security Council was formed by President John F Kennedy, which consisted of several of his cabinet members as well as friends and other high-placed government officials. Ex- COMM met for hours and days during the time of this crisis, trying to find a solution to this problem as well as avoiding a nuclear war. Eventually, a naval blockade of Cuba was put into place and a sort of order was given out to the Soviets and Cubans by Kennedy- the Soviet ships carrying weapons to Cuba needed to turn around, or Kennedy would fire on the SAM sites. Khrushchev and Kennedy began to correspond by letter, and an agreement was reached between the two men that the missiles in Cuba would be removed as long as the U.S. would not invade Cuba. By the end of October, the Crisis was over and compromise had been reached between the two superpowers. The Cuban Missile Crisis helped to speed Khrushchev’s removal from office, because many prominent Soviets felt that Khrushchev had let them down. Khrushchev’s whole foreign policy was actually quite inconsistent. Despite his readiness to try and work with the West and lower Cold War tensions, Khrushchev invaded [Hungary], fought with China, and put missiles in Cuba. Khrushchev’s foreign policy decisions, as well as his domestic decisions, were made, in part, depending on his personal mood. Nikita Khrushchev ascended through the ranks of the Communist Party from a poor childhood, and because of that was clever and smart despite his rough edges and fondness for drinking (see [vodka]). However, his inconsistencies in policy as well as his “new soviet mentality” culminated in his removal from office. Oh yeah- he wanted to go to Disneyworld in Florida too- but it was deemed too unsafe. Too bad he missed it- Space Mountain rocks. 
See also Russia Return to Rockinjess homepage | 