Changes

Khrushchev denounced Stalin in 1956 in one of the most spectacular and revealing speeches in world history.  The audience was originally high officials--they knew bits and pieces of the horrible story of Stalin's crimes, but now for the first time saw the whole picture. Against Khrushchev's intent, the text of the speech was soon translated and publicized worldwide.  

Khrushchev denounced Stalin in 1956 in one of the most spectacular and revealing speeches in world history.  The audience was originally high officials--they knew bits and pieces of the horrible story of Stalin's crimes, but now for the first time saw the whole picture. Against Khrushchev's intent, the text of the speech was soon translated and publicized worldwide.  

The secrets were out; now everyone knew that the Stalin era was built on deceit, disinformation, and false allegations up and down the line, and false imprisonment and execution.  Hundreds of thousands of loyal Russians had been shot as "spies" to satisfy Stalin's paranoia. By blaming his predecessor for all of Russia's ills Khrushchev bought time to reform the system.  The speech became a tool at all levels for reformers to attack the old guard that was accused of complicity in Stalin's crimes.  Khrushchev himself shared the guilt but purged himself by revealing it. He could now terminate the worst features of the [[Gulag]], stopping arbitrary executions, freeing half the 2.3 million prisoners and shortening the terms for the rest, and rehabilitating the memory of the dead. Yet Khrushchev had to allow the secret police (now called KGB) to maintain a high enough fear level in people's minds to keep the Party in power. As for the memories of Stalin, that was solved by erasing him from history--his name was never mentioned, his image never seen--and instead filling the media and the minds with the glorious heroics of the Great Patriotic War against Germany. The personality cult that Stalin had built was totally dismantled and was never to be repeated; only one statue was permitted to survive, and that was in Stalin's remote birthplace in Georgia.<ref> Cynthia  Hooper, "What Can and Cannot Be Said: Between the Stalinist Past and New Soviet Future," ''Slavonic & East European Review'' 2008 86(2): 306-327,</ref>

The secrets were out; now everyone knew that the Stalin era was built on [[Deceit|deceit]], disinformation, and false allegations up and down the line, and false imprisonment and execution.  Hundreds of thousands of loyal Russians had been shot as "spies" to satisfy Stalin's paranoia. By blaming his predecessor for all of Russia's ills Khrushchev bought time to reform the system.  The speech became a tool at all levels for reformers to attack the old guard that was accused of complicity in Stalin's crimes.  Khrushchev himself shared the guilt but purged himself by revealing it. He could now terminate the worst features of the [[Gulag]], stopping arbitrary executions, freeing half the 2.3 million prisoners and shortening the terms for the rest, and rehabilitating the memory of the dead. Yet Khrushchev had to allow the secret police (now called KGB) to maintain a high enough fear level in people's minds to keep the Party in power. As for the memories of Stalin, that was solved by erasing him from history--his name was never mentioned, his image never seen--and instead filling the media and the minds with the glorious heroics of the Great Patriotic War against Germany. The personality cult that Stalin had built was totally dismantled and was never to be repeated; only one statue was permitted to survive, and that was in Stalin's remote birthplace in Georgia.<ref> Cynthia  Hooper, "What Can and Cannot Be Said: Between the Stalinist Past and New Soviet Future," ''Slavonic & East European Review'' 2008 86(2): 306-327,</ref>

The '''"thaw"''' was the little taste of freedom after so many years of tyranny. Tasting a little freedom for the first time ever, Soviet citizens began following Western ideas and fashions in clothing. Realizing he had allowed too much freedom for Communism to survive, Khrushchev shut down the "cultural thaw" that had begun. He closed the magazines in Moscow that had started to honestly describe and analyze Soviet society. The writers, musicians and artists were put under firmer control.  [[Boris Pasternak]], winner of the Nobel Prize in literature in 1958 for his novel ''Doctor Zhivago'' was ostracized as a Judas.<ref> Taubman (2003) pp 383-88</ref>

The '''"thaw"''' was the little taste of freedom after so many years of tyranny. Tasting a little freedom for the first time ever, Soviet citizens began following Western ideas and fashions in clothing. Realizing he had allowed too much freedom for Communism to survive, Khrushchev shut down the "cultural thaw" that had begun. He closed the magazines in Moscow that had started to honestly describe and analyze Soviet society. The writers, musicians and artists were put under firmer control.  [[Boris Pasternak]], winner of the Nobel Prize in literature in 1958 for his novel ''Doctor Zhivago'', was ostracized as a Judas.<ref> Taubman (2003) pp 383-88</ref>

Khrushchev did not realize that "glasnost" would get people thinking outside Russia.  One unexpected result was the [[Hungarian uprising]] a year later that had to be crushed by the Russian army. The revelations were a devastating blow to international Communism worldwide, especially as intellectuals and artists discovered they had been duped into blind support for a monster. The Chinese moved into the vacuum, idealizing Mao and setting up rival Communist parties in most countries.

Khrushchev did not realize that "glasnost" would get people thinking outside Russia.  One unexpected result was the [[Hungarian uprising]] a year later that had to be crushed by the Russian army. The revelations were a devastating blow to international Communism worldwide, especially as intellectuals and artists discovered they had been duped into blind support for a monster. The Chinese moved into the vacuum, idealizing Mao and setting up rival Communist parties in most countries.