The death of Stalin and the struggle for power

A great leader and teacher, an iron man, a despot, a dictator, a tyrant and an oppressor ... This is not all the epithets, which to this day reward Comrade Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin. But whether he is good or bad is the name of this outstanding politician who, since the late 1920s and until his death in 1953, led the Soviet state, is known and remembered in the vast majority of countries. During all the years of his reign, many significant events took place that affected the course of the history of both the USSR and the whole world. Industrialization, dekulakization, mass repression, great terror, famine, World War II - this is only a small part of what this man "put his hand" to. Therefore, Stalin's death left the people accustomed to the dictatorial regime in shock: people did not know whether to rejoice or not, they were completely at a loss. However, the accomplices of the leader did not lose their heads. Since Stalin, whose death came as a result of a sudden stroke, did not prepare a replacement, the gradual transfer of power to one or another of his assistants did not take place, so everyone was fighting for it. The main rivals in this struggle were three people: Georgiy Maximilianovich Malenkov, Nikita Khrushchev and Lavrentii Pavlovich Beria.

As a compromise version of power at this stage, the course on collective leadership was proclaimed. G.M. Malenkov, speaking in July 1953 at the Plenum of the Central Committee of the CPSU, noted that no man dared, did not want and should not be an aspirant for the role of successor, for only a monolithic, united group of party leaders could act as such. However, Malenkov, Khrushchev, and Beria belonged to the generation of the nomenclature that was formed as a result of party cleansing and personnel reshuffles of the 1920s and 1930s. These were the conditions for the regime of Stalin's personal power, and this situation instilled in them just such a model for organizing the country's leadership.

The death of Stalin brought the most serious adjustments to the development of the USSR. After the Second World War, reforms were needed, and they appeared. But despite the principle of collective leadership proclaimed by Malenkov, a certain priority of power still took place. Since G.M. Malenkov was the Chairman of the Council of Ministers, he was also the head of the state apparatus, and therefore was the first among equals. A less significant post in this hierarchy was occupied by N.S. Khrushchev: he headed the party apparatus as secretary of the Central Committee.

As for L.P. Beria, he occupied a very complex and ambiguous position in this triumvirate: he had huge power in his hands. He was at the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, united with the Ministry of State Security. At the same time, he was the first deputy chairman of the Council of Ministers. Lavrenty Beria was one of the first who tried to present his own view on the changing of many aspects of politics. He was a supporter of reconciliation with Yugoslavia, offered to contribute to the unification of Germany, even on a bourgeois basis, advocated the expansion of the rights of the Soviet republics, etc. Stalin's death and personal ambitions and opportunities allowed Beria to implement his ideas, but the fear of senior officials in front of this figure led to a unanimous statement against him. In July 1953, Beria was arrested, charged with high treason and attempted conspiracy aimed at seizing power. Declared by the enemy of the people, Lavrentii Pavlovich was sentenced to be shot.

As a result, Stalin's death and the struggle for power led to Malenkov simply being pushed aside because of his inability to hold the reins of government, which by that time began to "tidy up" the party. NS Khrushchev, who was appointed party first secretary of the CPSU Central Committee, showed himself as a more influential, strong and charismatic leader whose personal qualities, ability to express thoughts simply and intelligibly, as well as proposed significant changes in the style of work of party organs had a positive impact On the masses. In addition, Stalin's death and the coming to power of Khrushchev led to such reforms as the gradual abolition of the personality cult, the transition to a more flexible policy of agreements and negotiations, a departure from economic isolation, the beginning of cooperation and peaceful coexistence with other states.