Khrushchev denounces Stalin in speech to Soviet communists

[jdhoch]

This Day in World History

February 25, 1956

Khrushchev Denounces Stalin in Speech to Soviet Communists


For thirty years, Joseph Stalin had ruled the Soviet Union unchallenged. Less than three years after his death, new Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev shocked the Twentieth Communist Party Congress with a long, angry speech that denounced Stalin.
Khrushchev framed his attack as a critique of the dead leader for promoting the “cult of personality,” which, he said, is alien to Marxism-Leninism. He began dismantling Stalin’s claims to greatness by pointing out that Soviet founder Vladimir Lenin had written in his will that Stalin should be removed from his position as secretary general of the Communist Party. Khrushchev revealed Lenin’s trenchant criticisms of Stalin, which Stalin had managed to suppress.


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Systemic Capital .com

[Prometeo liberado]

And look what followed. Khrushchev starts a sentence that Gorby will lazily finish. Simplistic? Yes, but it's all been talk about a thousand times here and elsewhere.

[GoddessCleoLover]

If Khrushchev had not begin the process of revealing the truth of the Stalin years and taken some steps to ameliorate the privations of the Soviet peoples, the Union might have collapsed thirty years before it finally expired. Reformers like Khrushchev and Gorbachev may have also spared the peoples of the Union from greater bloodshed than occurred due to grievances on the part of workers and oppressed nationalities.

[Ostrinski]

And look what followed. Khrushchev starts a sentence that Gorby will lazily finish. Simplistic? Yes, but it's all been talk about a thousand times here and elsewhere.Let's tone down the idealism a bit. Given these standards, one could just as easily say that Stalin started this "sentence." When in reality, Gorbachev, Khrushchev, Stalin, and Lenin all had little control over the course the Soviet Union took themselves. The bureaucratic mess that led to Stalinism wouldn't have had any analogue had the revolution spread westward, and the bureaucratization of the decision making process was the evolution of a revolutionary foundation into SIOC. The Khrushchev policies that came after Stalin were simply the natural fallout of those years, and since SIOC can't facilitate the transcendence of capital, the regime itself is unsustainable given the contradictions within capital.

To attribute such a large part of twentieth century history to the actions and policies of individuals is beyond preposterous.

[Prometeo liberado]

Let's tone down the idealism a bit. Given these standards, one could just as easily say that Stalin started this "sentence." When in reality, Gorbachev, Khrushchev, Stalin, and Lenin all had little control over the course the Soviet Union took themselves. The bureaucratic mess that led to Stalinism wouldn't have had any analogue had the revolution spread westward, and the bureaucratization of the decision making process was the evolution of a revolutionary foundation into SIOC. The Khrushchev policies that came after Stalin were simply the natural fallout of those years, and since SIOC can't facilitate the transcendence of capital, the regime itself is unsustainable given the contradictions within capital.

To attribute such a large part of twentieth century history to the actions and policies of individuals is beyond preposterous.


I think y'all missed the part that said simplistic.

[Lev Bronsteinovich]

For thirty years, Joseph Stalin had ruled the Soviet Union unchallenged. Less than three years after his death, new Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev shocked the Twentieth Communist Party Congress with a long, angry speech that denounced Stalin.
Khrushchev framed his attack as a critique of the dead leader for promoting the “cult of personality,” which, he said, is alien to Marxism-Leninism. He began dismantling Stalin’s claims to greatness by pointing out that Soviet founder Vladimir Lenin had written in his will that Stalin should be removed from his position as secretary general of the Communist Party. Khrushchev revealed Lenin’s trenchant criticisms of Stalin, which Stalin had managed to suppress.


All of which must have come as a shock to comrade Nikita when he discovered this. . . .

[daft punk]

Well, it was a step forward, a leading Stalinist admitting that the Moscow Trials were frame-ups. And yet decades later we still have to put up with people repeating Stalin's lies.

[daft punk]

By the way, about Lenin's testament. Trepper says it was widely circulated, but only the Trots would have a clue how to oppose the growing terror.

[Rooster]

I think y'all missed the part that said simplistic.

Yeah, and it's also wrong.