Historical Interpretations of Stalin
Use the two documents that follow to show how the historical interpretation of Stalin changed over time.
1. Excerpt from Nikita Khrushchev, Speech before the Twentieth Party Congress of the Communist Party, 1956
Nikita Khrushchev, successor to Stalin and leader of the Soviet Union from 1955 to 1964), gave a speech to a secret session of the Community Party Congress in 1956. Read the excerpt and answer the question that follows.
“Fearing the future fate of the party and of the Soviet nation, V. I. Lenin made a completely correct characterization of Stalin, pointing out that it was necessary to consider the question of transferring Stalin from the position of Secretary General because of the fact that Stalin is excessively rude, that he does not have a proper attitude toward his comrades, that he is capricious, and abuses his power....”
“When we analyze the practice of Stalin in regard to the direction of the party and of the country, when we pause to consider everything which Stalin perpetrated, we must be convinced that Lenin’s fears were justified. The negative characteristics of Stalin, which, in Lenin’s time, were only incipient, transformed themselves during the last years into a grave abuse of power by Stalin, which caused untold harm to our party ... Stalin acted not through persuasion, explanation, and patient cooperation with people, but by imposing his concepts and demanding absolute submission to his opinion. Whoever opposed this concept or tried to prove his viewpoint, and the correctness of his position – was doomed to removal from the leading collective and to subsequent moral and physical annihilation.”
Source: Congressional Record: Proceedings and Debates of the 84th Congress, 2nd Session (May 22, 1956–June 11, 1956).
Question
2. Excerpt from Mikhail Gorbachev, Speech to the Kremlin, 1987
Mikhail Gorbachev was the last leader of the Soviet Union, coming to power in 1985 and forced from his position with the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. Gorbachev is most famous for his policies that led to an opening of freedoms for Soviet peoples.
“To remain faithful to historical truth, we have to see both Stalin’s incontestable contribution to the struggle for socialism and the gross political errors and the abuses committed by him and those around him. Contrary to the assertions of our ideological opponents, the Stalin personality cult was certainly not inevitable. The process of restoring justice was not seen through to the end and was actually suspended in the middle of the 1960s.... The guilt of Stalin and his entourage before the party and the people for the wholesale repressive measures and acts of lawlessness is enormous and unforgiveable. This is a lesson for all generations.”
Source: Philip Taubman, “Gorbachev Assails Crimes of Stalin, Lauds Khrushchev,” New York Times, November 3, 1987.
Question