Nikita Khrushchev faced domestic challenges as the Soviet leader from 1953-1964. He criticized Stalin in a 1956 speech, angering Stalin supporters and encouraging anti-Soviet revolts. This made Khrushchev unpopular and worried about challenges to his leadership. His agricultural and religious policies also failed and were unpopular. Placing missiles in Cuba may have been an attempt to strengthen his position by appearing stronger against the US and distracting from domestic issues, though confronting the US carried great risks if unsuccessful.

1. The Cold War
1945-1989
Khrushchev’s
domestic position
Reasons for the Cuban Missile Crisis

2. Khrushchev’s domestic position
In today’s class I am learning to:
• Describe the experiences of
Nikita Khrushchev during his time
as Soviet leader
• Analyse the extent to which these
events helped cause the Cuban
Missile Crisis

3. Khrushchev’s domestic position
From 1953 until
1964, Nikita
Khrushchev was the
Premier (leader) of
the Soviet Union.
During his time in
power he backed
changes to Soviet
domestic policy, and
oversaw a major
space programme.

4. Khrushchev’s domestic position
In 1956 Khrushchev
gave a ‘Secret Speech’
where he criticised
the leadership of
former Soviet Premier,
Joseph Stalin.
The speech was not
meant to be widely
known, but
subsequently leaked
across the USSR.

5. Khrushchev’s domestic position
The speech condemned
Stalin’s actions,
including jailing
political opponents
(going to the gulag).
The speech angered
Stalin supporters and
may have encouraged
anti-Soviet revolts
later that year in
Poland and Hungary.

6. Khrushchev’s domestic position
After his anti-Stalin
speech, Khrushchev was
unpopular with many
Communists and worried
about challenges to
his leadership.
He may have taken
action in Cuba to
appear stronger,
trying to help him
keep control.

7. Khrushchev’s domestic position
Khrushchev’s last
major foreign policy –
agreeing to the
building of the Berlin
Wall – had resulted in
global criticism.
The Soviet Premier’s
domestic position
might be weaker if he
faced even more world
condemnation.

8. Khrushchev’s domestic position
Khrushchev introduced
a range of farming
reforms, designed to
improve food supply in
the Soviet Union.
This included planting
more corn, and also
changing how and where
Soviet farms could get
access to farm
machinery.

9. Khrushchev’s domestic position
Many of these farming
policies failed, and
there was a huge
increase in food
prices in 1962.
This led to protests
across the USSR,
which the Soviet army
was required to stop,
resulting in deaths
and injuries.

10. Khrushchev’s domestic position
Khrushchev also
introduced policies
which affected
religion in the USSR.
This included closing
many churches and also
banning children being
involved in church
services. These
actions were unpopular
with many people.

11. Khrushchev’s domestic position
Khrushchev’s government
also suffered due to
everyday problems (such
as high food prices)
affecting people in the
Soviet Union.
A foreign policy
success in Cuba may
have hidden many
domestic complaints he
was facing.

12. Khrushchev’s domestic position
A confrontation with
the USA would only
help Khrushchev if he
won – and damage him
if he did not.
If Khrushchev wanted
to strengthen his
domestic position it
would have been easier
to take action against
US sites in Europe.

13. Khrushchev’s domestic position
China became a
Communist country in
1949. They had various
links with the USSR.
This included trade
deals and also both of
them providing
military support
during the Korean and
Vietnam Wars to help
Communist groups.

14. Khrushchev’s domestic position
However both sides had
major disagreements
about how Communism
should be implemented.
In particular, China
argued that the USSR
was building too many
links with Western
countries, which
Communist states
should not do.

15. Khrushchev’s domestic position
The growing power of
China threatened the
USSR’s position as the
world’s leading
Communist country.
Khrushchev may have
hoped placing missiles
in Cuba would change
this, especially as
China did not then
have nuclear weapons.

16. Khrushchev’s domestic position
Khrushchev’s famous
anti-Stalin speech
showed that he was not
a hardline Communist.
It is unlikely he
would have risked
nuclear confrontation
in the hope of
spreading global
Communism, or helping
his domestic position.