Khrushchev's Leadership and De‑Stalinization (1953–1964)

1. Beria arrested in post-Stalin power struggle

   Jun 26, 1953Labels: Lavrentiy Beria, Soviet security

   • Britannica
   • Beria

2. Khrushchev becomes CPSU First Secretary

   Sep 7, 1953Labels: Nikita Khrushchev, CPSU First

   • Britannica
   • Khrushchev

3. Beria executed after secret trial

   Dec 23, 1953Labels: Lavrentiy Beria, Secret trial

   • Britannica
   • Beria

4. Belgrade Declaration normalizes USSR–Yugoslavia ties

   Jun 2, 1955Labels: Belgrade Declaration, Tito

   • Belgrade
   • Khrushchev

5. 20th CPSU Congress opens amid reform signals

   Feb 14, 1956Labels: 20th Party, CPSU Congress

   • 20th Congress
   • Britannica

6. Khrushchev delivers "Secret Speech" denouncing Stalin

   Feb 25, 1956Labels: Secret Speech, Nikita Khrushchev

   • Britannica
   • Speech

7. Polish October brings Gomułka back to power

   Oct 21, 1956Labels: W adys, Polish October

   • Polish October
   • Britannica

8. Hungarian Revolution begins in Budapest

   Oct 23, 1956Labels: Hungarian Revolution, Budapest

   • Britannica
   • Hungary 1956

9. Soviet forces invade to crush Hungarian uprising

   Nov 4, 1956Labels: Soviet Armed, Hungarian Uprising

   • Britannica
   • Hungary 1956

10. Anti-Party Group fails to remove Khrushchev

    Jun 18, 1957Labels: Anti-Party Group, CPSU Central

    • Britannica
    • Anti Party

11. Khrushchev becomes Chairman of the Council of Ministers

    Mar 27, 1958Labels: Chairman of, Nikita Khrushchev

    • HISTORY
    • Britannica

12. Khrushchev begins unprecedented U.S. state visit

    Sep 15, 1959Labels: U S, Nikita Khrushchev

    • HISTORY
    • Visit 1959

13. U-2 shootdown triggers major Cold War crisis

    May 1, 1960Labels: U-2 incident, Reconnaissance plane

    • Britannica
    • U 2

14. East Germany seals Berlin border; Wall begins

    Aug 13, 1961Labels: Berlin Wall, East Germany

    • AP
    • Khrushchev

15. 22nd Party Congress intensifies de-Stalinization drive

    Oct 17, 1961Labels: 22nd Party, CPSU Congress

    • 22nd Congress
    • Britannica

16. Stalin’s body removed from Lenin Mausoleum

    Oct 31, 1961Labels: Lenin Mausoleum, Stalin

    • HISTORY
    • 22nd Congress

17. Novocherkassk protest massacre exposes reform limits

    Jun 2, 1962Labels: Novocherkassk, Security forces

    • Novocherkassk
    • Khrushchev

18. Cuban Missile Crisis begins after U.S. discovery

    Oct 16, 1962Labels: Cuban Missile, Cuba

    • AP
    • Britannica

19. Khrushchev agrees to withdraw missiles from Cuba

    Oct 28, 1962Labels: Missile withdrawal, Nikita Khrushchev

    • October 1962
    • Britannica

20. Solzhenitsyn’s Gulag novella published during the Thaw

    Nov 1, 1962Labels: Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, One Day

    • Ivan Denisovich
    • Britannica

21. Partial Test Ban Treaty signed in Moscow

    Aug 5, 1963Labels: Partial Test, Arms control

    • PTBT
    • Khrushchev

22. Khrushchev removed from power by party leadership

    Oct 14, 1964Labels: Khrushchev ouster, CPSU Central

    • HISTORY
    • October 1964