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Nikita KhrushchevPolitician and statesman
Date of Birth: 17.04.1894
Country:  Russia |
Biography of Nikita Khrushchev
Early Life and CareerNikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev was born on April 17, 1894, in the village of Kalinovka. Coming from a poor family, Khrushchev's father worked as a coal miner to make ends meet. At the age of 14, Khrushchev and his family moved to a mining town near Donetsk, where his father became a miner and Khrushchev worked as a shepherd. Eventually, he found work at an electric generator factory and learned the trade of a fitter. However, he was dismissed in 1912 for participating in labor movements. Khrushchev then worked as a fitter at a coal mine and got married in 1914. During this time, he became involved in the Bolshevik party and played a role in the workers' movement.
Rise in the Bolshevik Party
After the abdication of the tsar, Khrushchev became a member of the Council of Workers' Deputies in his village. He joined the Bolshevik party in 1918 and fought in the Russian Civil War, rising from the leader of a Red Guard detachment to a political instructor in the Kuban Army. He was awarded the Order of the Red Banner by Lev Davidovich Trotsky, the People's Commissar for Military and Naval Affairs. After being demobilized, Khrushchev decided to pursue higher education and enrolled in the Don Industrial Technical School. During his studies, he continued his party activities and became the secretary of the party cell at the technical school. In 1924, he remarried and had three children.
Political Career
In 1925 and 1927, Khrushchev represented Yuzovka at the 14th and 15th Congresses of the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks), gaining exposure to high-level politics. In 1928, Lazar Kaganovich brought Khrushchev into the central apparatus of the Communist Party of Ukraine, launching his rapid career advancement. Khrushchev was then sent to the Moscow Industrial Academy for further education. Alongside his studies, he began to criticize the supporters of Rykov and Bukharin. His efforts were recognized, and he became the head of the party bureau at the academy. From 1931 to 1935, Khrushchev held various positions within the party, from secretary of the Bauman District Committee to the head of the Moscow Party organization.
Leadership in Ukraine and Challenges
In 1938, Khrushchev was sent back to Ukraine to rebuild the administrative apparatus that had been decimated by the 1937 purges. He focused on addressing economic problems caused by the devastating famine of 1932-33 and the collectivization of agriculture. Khrushchev also played a role in the Soviet territorial expansion, leading to the deportation of over a million people from Western Ukraine. During World War II, he served on the Military Council of the Southwest Front. However, Khrushchev was also implicated in the failures of the Red Army in 1941 and 1942. His son, Leonid, went to the front and died in combat in 1943.
General Secretary of the Communist Party
By the end of the 1950s, Khrushchev held significant power within the Soviet Union. He pursued a policy of de-Stalinization, which included denouncing the cult of personality surrounding Joseph Stalin. Khrushchev's secret speech at the 20th Party Congress in 1956 led to the release and rehabilitation of political prisoners across the country. However, the speech also sparked uprisings in Poland and Hungary, which were brutally suppressed by Soviet forces. As the General Secretary of the Communist Party, Khrushchev implemented various reforms, including the construction of mass housing known as "Khrushchevka," but also faced criticism for his unrealistic economic plans. In 1964, he was removed from power by a conspiracy led by Leonid Brezhnev, Nikolai Podgorny, and Mikhail Suslov.
Later Life and Legacy
After his removal from power, Khrushchev retained his Moscow apartment and a country house where he enjoyed growing tomatoes. He passed away on September 11, 1971, at the age of 77. Despite his mixed record as a leader, Khrushchev's impact on Soviet history cannot be underestimated. His de-Stalinization efforts and reforms shaped the trajectory of the Soviet Union, and his removal from power marked a shift in leadership within the Communist Party.
