feb 1, 1953 - De-Stalinization

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Officially launched in February 1956

After the death of Stalin in 1953, the new Soviet ruler Nikita Khrushchev, in his “secret speech” shocked the world by condemning Stalin’s brute and criminalistic actions and pledging to remove Stalin’s harmful legacy on Russia in a process known as De-Stalinization. He believed that through Stalin’s harsh policies, he strayed away from the Marxist concepts of socialism and tainted Russia’s reputation. He pledged to move away from Stalin’s ideas that war with the anti-communists was inevitable and instead wished for peaceful coexistence, a step forward to peace in the cold war. It was incredibly significant, as the move away from harsh and violent communist enforcement made way for the rise of democratic reform in Eastern Europe, which supported the US's wishes.

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