Nikita Khrushchev was the third leader of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the ruler of Soviet Union during 1953-1964. He has been a railway worker, miner and brick factory. He had also fought in the Battle of Stalingrad, has contributed a lot in the defeat of Nazi Germany. Soviet Union reached its peak during his rule: head of space race, communist influences over Asia, Africa, Europe and America.

“I strongly protest the unequal treatment of the representatives of the state at this meeting. Why when the gentlemen who represents Congo was speaking, did the chairman stop him? Why? He was trying to tell the assembly about the suffering of Congolese brothers. Suffering caused by Yoke of Imperialist and Colonist interference. Yet the president decided to stop him and wouldn’t allow him to speak. He claimed it is a question on substance not procedure being discussed. Why then is that idiotic American imperialist over there, allowed to speak absolute rubbish for hours, not at all on a question of procedures? He gets to go on and on for ever, but the voice of poor people of the Congo is silenced! It is very unjust! Gentlemen, Mr. Chairman! We do not live on earth by the grace of God and not by your grace but by the strength and intelligance of our great soviet people! And all nations fight for their independence!

—Khrushchev Speech in United Nations 1960

Achievements

• Destalinization and oppose cult of personalities
• Successful Agricultural reform
• Participation in anticolonialism
• Soviet aid to the third world nations
• political reforms
• Establishment of Warsaw Pact

Destaliniaztion

He had released hundreds of thousands of prisoners from the great purge caused by Stalin. On his secret speech, he also told the people the consequences of cult of personality and stops the cult of personality to Stalin immediately. This policy provides soviet people more freedom on arts and personal ideological thoughts. Khrushchev also published the secret speech to express the consequences of cult of personalities.

Agricultural Reforms

During Stalin and Lenin’s era, because Soviet government was so focused on industrialization and increase the steel product which forget to develop the agricultural economy causing famine to happen resulted in hundreds of thousands of death. Khrushchev used his previous experiences at Ukraine to develop agriculture in the entire soviet union. That eventually has became a success.

From 1951 to 1955, the average annual output of grain in the Soviet Union was 38.5 million tons. From 1961 to 1965, the average annual production reached 130.3 million tons, an increase nearly 50%. The average annual production of meat has increased from 5.7 million tons to 9.3 million tons, an increase of more than 60%; the average annual production of milk has increased from 37.9 million tons to 64.7 million tons, an increase of more than 70%.

Political Reform

After Khrushchev came to power, the trial privileges of members of the state security organs were abolished, and the prosecution of political prisoners had to go through local party committees. There were no major political cases during Khrushchev’s tenure, and there were at most hundreds of indictments for political crimes. The means of punishment for dissidents have also been replaced by unemployment, dismissal from university positions, expulsion from the party, or forced hospitalization on the grounds of “social threats.” In 1958, Khrushchev expanded the number of Central Committee meetings to hundreds of officials. In 1962, Khrushchev divided the provincial party committees into two parallel mechanisms responsible for agriculture and industry. This brings about management chaos to a certain extent, but also avoids excessive concentration of power. 

A lot of people might say he brought the world into crisis with competition with United States, so that he is a tyrant. But the truth is quite opposite, it is because Khrushchev’s Soviet Union is breaking American World order and was able to compete with US in all aspects, caused those crisis, which can not be achieved without a powerful nation.