Nikita Khrushchev

Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchof (Khrushchev) (Russian: ??????? ?????????? ?????? {{IPA |/nʲiˈki.ta sʲerˈge.jeˌviʧ ˈxru.ʃʧʲof/}} {{Audio|Ru Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev.ogg|listen}}, April 17, 1894 – September 11, 1971) was the leader of the Soviet Union after the death of Joseph Stalin. He was First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964 and Chairman of the Council of Ministers from 1958 to 1964.

Khrushchev's personality

Khrushchev was regarded by his political enemies in the Soviet Union as a boorish, uncivilized peasant, with a reputation for interrupting speakers to insult them. The Politburo accused him once of 'hare-brained scheming' - referring to his erratic policy. Partly this was the result of his limited formal education. Although intelligent (as his political enemies also admitted after he had defeated them) and certainly cunning, he lacked knowledge and understanding of the world outside of his direct experience and so would often prove easy to manipulate for scientific hucksters that knew how to appeal to his vanity and prejudices. For example, he was a supporter of Trofim Lysenko even after the Stalin years and became convinced that the Soviet Union's agricultural crises could be solved through the planting of maize on the same scale as the United States but without taking into account the differences in climate and soil which made this inadvisable

Related Topics:
Trofim Lysenko - Maize

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He repeatedly disrupted a United Nations conference in September-October 1960 by pounding his fists on the table and shouting in Russian during speeches. On September 29, 1960, Khrushchev twice interrupted a speech by British prime minister Harold Macmillan by shouting out and pounding his desk. The unflappable Macmillan famously commented: "I should like that to be translated if he wants to say anything."

Related Topics:
United Nations - Russian - September 29 - Harold Macmillan

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At the UN two weeks later, Lorenzo Sumulong, the Filipino delegate, asked Khrushchev how he could protest Western capitalist imperialism while the Soviet Union was at the same time rapidly assimilating Eastern Europe. Khrushchev became enraged and informed Sumulong that he was "kholuj i stavlennik imperializma," which was translated as "a jerk, a stooge and a lackey of imperialism," then removed one of his shoes and made a move as to bang it on the table.

Related Topics:
Lorenzo Sumulong - Filipino - Capitalist - Imperialism - Eastern Europe

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At another occasion, Khrushchev said in reference to capitalism, "We will bury you." This phrase, ambiguous both in English and in Russian, was interpreted in several ways. He is famous for boasting to the U.S. President: "We will bury you. Our rockets could hit a fly over the United States."

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