Khrushchev and De-Stalinisation 1953–1964

The death of Joseph Stalin on 5 March 1953 opened a new chapter in Soviet history. The period that followed was defined by the remarkable figure of Nikita Khrushchev, who denounced Stalin's crimes, attempted to reform the Soviet system, and yet presided over some of its most dangerous international crises. The extent to which de-Stalinisation represented genuine change — or merely a recalibration of the same system — is one of the central questions of this period.

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The Power Struggle After Stalin

Stalin's death created a vacuum at the top of the Soviet system. No mechanism existed for orderly succession.

The Key Figures