How Did Khrushchev Rise To Power

Austin MacLean

Humanities Group C

Mr. Koger

22 March 2015

Dictator Party On March 20, 1953 Nikita Khrushchev was selected as one of five men named to the new office of Secretariat of the Communist Party, by the powerful Soviet Government. This was the first major step in Khrushchev’s rise to power in the Soviet Union. This selection would ultimately make Khrushchev secretary of the Communist Party in September 1953, and premier in 1958 both major steps in his rise to power. When Joseph Stalin on March 5, 1953 it made a hole in Soviet leadership. Stalin had reigned for nearly thirty years, and with his death the next in line was Georgi Malenkov, first secretary of the Communist Party. The race began for who would replace Stalin. Khrushchev had been a loyal and very active member on the party and loyal follower of Stalin, one of the few old members who survived Stalin’s paranoia.

Despite this when Stalin passed away, Malenkov picked over Khrushchev. However, it did not take much time for Khrushchev to capitalize on the mediocre Malenkov. The first action he took was, he created a group of politicians to make Malenkov to give up the position of first secretary. This was a major step because this post controlled the party apparatus in the Soviet Union. Malenkov publicly stated that he was willing giving up the position to share the responsibilities, but the writing was on the war that it was Khrushchev’s handy work. To take over for Malenkov, the Communists party established of a new post, a five-man Secretariat. Khrushchev’s puppet, Nikolai Bulganin received the post. In March 1958, Khrushchev consolidated his power by taking the office of premier