Did Nikita Khrushchev Survive Stalin's Purges of the Mid-1930 because Stalin Liked Khrushchev's Level of Brutality - Coursework Example

Download file to see previous pages During the purges, numerical quotas were handed out to the leaders, which dictated them to arrest a certain fixed number of people. In fact, in 1937, we see that a fixed quota of 35000 of the so-called ‘enemies’ was to be arrested of which a target of 5000 was set who were to be executed. In this respect, Khrushchev advocated the politburo that 2000 of the rich farmers (kulaks) from Moscow could be killed to fill up a part of the given quota of 5000. Within two weeks of getting the order, Khrushchev wrote back to Stalin saying that a total of 41,305 comprising of various ‘enemies’ and other rich farmers (kulaks) have been arrested of which 5000 deserved death (Taubman, 2003, 100). Khrushchev, in 1923, himself had dallied for some time with Trotskyite (a strong opponent of Stalin), and under his mentor, Kaganovich’s advice, confessed to Stalin. He was however reprieved and re-elected by the party politburo to the post of a party leader. He became a Politburo member in 1938 and was given a full party membership in 1939. It was almost as if Stalin had taken a strong liking for this man, who unhesitatingly and almost eagerly, had sent most of his old friends and colleagues to their death chambers and labor camps, and had signed their death warranties without wavering even once. An examination of various reports show that Khrushchev started attending Stalin’s meetings as early as 1932, and the two shared a warm relationship, and it has also been suggested that Stalin’s wife was quite impressed by Khrushchev, and even recommended his name to her husband (Taubman, 105–06). In fact, Stalin’s wife Nadezhda Alliluyeva was his classmate and a co-party organizer at the Industrial Academy which Khrushchev attended in Moscow during his tenure as the cell secretary during the thirties, and whom he referred to as his ‘lucky lottery ticket’ (Tompson, 33). ...Download file to see next pagesRead More