As a young man,
this course peasant joined the Communist Party
soon after it came to power. Starting as a minor government
functionary in the Ukraine, he rose to become the
leader of the Soviet Union. Nikita Khrushchev beginning
now our Box Office Bio. [theme music] NIKITA KHRUSHCHEV:
[non-english speech] NARRATOR: "One of us must go
to his grave," he declared. "We do not want to
go to the grave. They in the West do not want
to go to their grave either. We must push them
to their grave." His name is Nikita Khrushchev,
and this is his biography. [theme music] The journey to Moscow is a
momentous event for Khrushchev. Perhaps even frightening. He can never forget that he is
a muzhik, a peasant from Kursk. Although he is 35 years
old, he has only recently learned to read and write. With submissive
peasants, he is at home. He can deal with them. Moscow, however, is a vast
metropolis, the nerve center of Soviet power. Here, Khrushchev
becomes just one among thousands of obscure
functionaries and party members, all of them
struggling to hold their niche in a communist bureaucracy. Khrushchev almost immediately
attracts attention. He gets ahead by denouncing
fellow students who dare to question the opinions
and policies of Joseph Stalin. Stalin, the dictator
of the Soviet Union, has been recruiting
thousands of young henchmen. And when he hears
about a Kursk peasant with an instinct for political
strategy, Stalin is intrigued. It is decided that one
of Moscow's districts be placed under the supervision
of Nikita Khrushchev. This first taste of
power whets his appetite. And with an eye on the
future, Khrushchev tirelessly cultivates
influential officials. [music playing] He frequently works with another
ambitious communist, Nikolai Bulganin. They become the watchdogs
for an extraordinary project. Compulsory labor battalions
under Khrushchev's command tunnel beneath the city to
build Moscow's first subway. The Moscow subway becomes
Khrushchev's bizarre triumph. He says, "we wanted to do more
underground than the tsars themselves did on the surface." Russia itself may be
wracked by economic crises and periodic famines, but
to Khrushchev, the subway is a subterranean monument
that will glorify communism and its leaders including,
he hopes, himself. Khrushchev soon
receives his reward. In 1934, he is made political
chieftain of all of Moscow with over three million
people under his domination. He finds himself among the 200
top officials in the Soviet Union. And now that he has
come so far so fast, Khrushchev allows his
imagination to soar. With enough cunning
in the proper timing, anything he feels is possible. Khrushchev draws as
close as he dares to the source of all power-- Joseph Stalin. He knows it's a dangerous game
where Stalin trusts nobody. And many who come too
close are destroyed. In the mid-1930s, Stalin
has begun to deify himself as a leader, and
Khrushchev suddenly becomes one of his high priests. To the people whose
job proclaims, Stalin is the beacon
which guides all mankind. Stalin is our banner, our will. Stalin is our victory. Soon, a strange relationship
develops between them. Stalin uses Khrushchev but he
also enjoys humiliating him. He orders Khrushchev
to tell peasant jokes, to play the trained
bear at the Kremlin. Khrushchev, in turn, develops a
concealed but implacable hatred for Stalin. "Stalin was a morbidly
suspicious man," Khrushchev will say years later. Stalin would look at a man
and ask, "why are your eyes so shifty today?" 1936, Stalin begins his
infamous purge trials. Facing trumped up charges,
leading communists must be liquidated because
they are a threat to his power. Khrushchev also wants these old
line Bolsheviks out of the way because they stand in his path. He whips up public hatred
for the defendants, declaring they lifted their
villainous hand against comrade Stalin. They must be crushed. [suspenseful music] [gunshots] More than 100 men in the
Soviet hierarchy are killed. Khrushchev has moved that
much closer to his goal. The purges have
tightened Stalin's grip over the government
and the armed forces. And he is now the dictator of
a great international power. [music playing] Within the Soviet Union,
however, the huge province of the Ukraine seethes with
antagonism against Stalin's regime, and something
must be done about it. Khrushchev suddenly
sees this as a chance to make an even bigger
name for himself. He volunteers to take care
of the rebellious Ukrainians. Hundreds of thousands of
kulaks, middle class farmers, have already been imprisoned
or sent into exile for resisting collectivism or
trying to hold on to their land and property. These successful kulaks had
aroused jealousy and hatred in Khrushchev years before
when he was a poor peasant. Now, he will settle
an old score. By 1939, an estimated
400,000 Ukrainians are slaughtered under
Khrushchev's supervision. Communism took their
property, then their freedom, now their lives. [music playing] Nikita Khrushchev is
now spoken of with dread as the hangman of the Ukraine. "Our cause is a holy
cause," he declares. "And he whose hand trembles
before annihilating enemies exposes the
revolution to danger." As a reward for not
trembling, Khrushchev is made the 13th member of the
Politburo, the nation's highest political body. But any further rise within
the Kremlin will have to wait. [planes flying overhead] [explosions] The Soviet Union is overrun
by Hitler's Wehrmacht. [rapid gunfire] Khrushchev becomes a political
commissar, Stalin's deputy on various fronts. Though he directs no
campaign, plans no strategy, he will later claim credit
for the Battle of Stalingrad and the eventual destruction
of Hitler's invading army. [explosions] [rapid gunfire] [music playing] Final victory in Russia
adds to the prestige of commissar Nikita Khrushchev. At war's end, he
emerges a hero of sorts, and he plans to capitalize
on his reputation. At the age of 51, Khrushchev
will resume his march toward power within the Kremlin. [music playing] WOMAN: And now, a bio fact. Nikita Khrushchev's
son, Sergei, who edited the volumes of
his father's memoirs, has spent time in the US
as a visiting professor of political science
at Brown University and at Kansas State University. [non-english speech] NARRATOR: In the
early postwar years, Joseph Stalin extends his
empire across Eastern Europe. He seals off the Soviet Union
and its satellite nations behind an Iron Curtain. He is so powerful that no
one within the Kremlin dares challenge him. 1950, Stalin makes an alliance
with Mao Tse Tung, the dictator of red China. He feels he has reached
the pinnacle of his power. But Stalin is 70 years old. His mind has begun to fail. Some have dared to
whisper behind his back that Stalin is
senile and paranoia. Many of his closest
henchmen, Stalin fears, are waiting for the right
moment to destroy him. Something must be
done about them. The death of a communist
official by the name of Andrei Zhdanov presents
Stalin with an excuse to get rid of his enemies. He will charge that Zhdanov
was murdered by traitors within the Kremlin. Stalin plans
another purge trial. January 1953, Khrushchev
and the other members of the Soviet hierarchy suddenly
realize they are in danger. Many Western observers will
speculate that they meet Stalin's plot with
a counter plot, that they decide to kill
Stalin before he kills them. But this is only speculation. One month later, the
people of the Soviet Union are stunned by the announcement
that Joseph Stalin is dead. It is reported that
the cause of death was a cerebral hemorrhage. The world waits to see who
will take Stalin's place. The name of Nikita
Khrushchev, the man who had shrewdly stayed in the
background, is never mentioned. Within the Kremlin,
however, Khrushchev enters a power struggle. His rivals are
hardened Bolsheviks, the few men who have survived
the constant conspiracies and purges in the
Soviet government. Khrushchev's strategy will be to
play off one against the other until he will have
disposed of them all. At first, Georgy Malenkov
becomes the nominal head of the government. He had been Stalin's
chief informer, an expert at blackmail. But as a politician,
he is a blunder, no match for Khrushchev and the
others waiting in the wings. He is systematically
maneuvered out of power. Lavrentiy Beria, head
of the secret police, is the man with whom
none can feel safe. Khrushchev and the others
make him the scapegoat for anti-communist
riots in East Berlin, and he will be executed. Foreign Minister VM
Molotov makes the mistake of echoing Stalin's
tough foreign policies. The ground is cut from under
him when Khrushchev cynically switches to a soft line
in international affairs. Eventually, Molotov will plead
with Khrushchev for protection. A terrified Nikolai
Bulganin knows he must try to save
his own political neck. Bulganin begins to denounce and
inform on Khrushchev's rivals. He forms an alliance
with Khrushchev. And for a moment, they
share the world spotlight. But soon after, he
is of no further use. Khrushchev relegates
him to obscurity. Still, a shadow hangs
over the Kremlin-- the revered image
of Joseph Stalin. Khrushchev knows that
to come into his own, to become absolute dictator
of the Soviet Union, he must destroy the
legend of Joseph Stalin. February 1956, Khrushchev
stuns the world with an incredible tirade
against the man who had ruled the Soviet Union for 30 years. "Stalin," says Khrushchev,
"practiced brutal violence toward all who opposed him. He murdered loyal communists
in barbaric purges." Khrushchev had been an eager
accomplice in these crimes. But now, he says
Stalin alone was guilty and that the cult of Joseph
Stalin must be destroyed. [music playing] Nikita Khrushchev is
settling another old score. That same year, a revolt in
communist-controlled Hungary threatens Khrushchev's
prestige, endangers his hard-won position. Taking no chances, he commands
that Soviet armed might smash the freedom fighters. Khrushchev serves notice that
the Kremlin, under his command, still rules the
communist empire. The peasant from
Kursk finally emerges as dictator of the Soviet Union,
leader of a communist movement that has already devoured
one-third of the entire world. And now, he turns to
the West and declares, "we will bury you." In Russia, April 12th
celebrates Cosmonaut's Day, commemorating the 1961
spaceflight by Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space,
a heroic achievement during the Khrushchev years. NARRATOR: October 1957, Russia
celebrates an historic victory over the United States
in the race for space. Khrushchev boasts that with
Sputnik 1, the first space satellite, he has proven
communism's superiority over the West. [music playing] At a world Trade fair
in Moscow, Khrushchev is in a swaggering mood when
he meets Vice President Richard Nixon. While touring the United
States exhibition, the dictator and
the Vice President engage in an extraordinary
public argument-- the merits of communism
versus freedom. It is the famous kitchen debate. [applause] We have-- [non-english speech] --every word
that you have said, every word that you've said
has been taken down and I will promise you that every word that
you have said will be reported in the United States and
they will see you say it on television. [non-english speech] Telecast over TV. Would it, yes? Certainly, it will. Certainly, yeah. Right, right. [applause] And by the same token,
by the same token, everything that I say will
be recorded and translated and will be carried all
over the Soviet Union. That's a fair bargain. [non-english speech] [applause] [non-english speech] Everything will be in writing. NARRATOR: September
1959, Khrushchev wants to score another
propaganda victory by visiting the United States, by being
welcomed in the nation that leads the free world. America, however, receives the
Soviet dictator for the most part with an uneasy reserve. [music playing] Before conferences
with Eisenhower, Khrushchev tours the
United States, the nation he has promised to bury. In Hollywood, he is welcomed by
the stars of the motion picture Can-Can. Frank Sinatra, Louis
Jourdan, Shirley MacLaine, Maurice Chevalier. [music playing] When a scene from the
film is recreated for him, Khrushchev regards it as fraught
with social significance. "Humanity's face is more
beautiful than its backside," he declares. "Only people who
are over-satiated like such things." "The girls," he says, "are
compelled to adapt themselves to the tastes of
depraved people." [applause] At a Hollywood luncheon,
Khrushchev, the head of the Soviet Union,
has an exchange of ideas with Spyros Skouras,
the head of 20th Century Fox. Your country is the greatest
corporation, the greatest capitalistic forum, the greatest
monopoly the world has ever known. [applause] [non-english speech] A very good monopoly. [applause] [non-english speech] For the moment,
you are ahead of us. [non-english speech] We still have a lot of work
to do to catch up with you. [non-english speech] We'll do that. We'll do our best. [non-english speech] We'll catch up. [non-english speech] We'll surpass you. [non-english speech] And we'll go forward. [non-english speech] That's my conviction. [non-english speech] You may perhaps laugh now,
but when we overtake you, wave our hands and say
capitalists goodbye. Our train is going ahead. Catch up if you can. NARRATOR: At the end
of Khrushchev's trip, his meetings with
President Eisenhower will pave the way for
a summit conference. Says Khrushchev,
"Eisenhower told me that there was one great
thing which he and I might be able to do-- bring peace to the world. And Khrushchev tells
the press that they called each other "my friend." May 1960, the eve of the
summit conference in Paris. An enraged Khrushchev announces
that a United States spy plane, the U-2, has been brought
down over Soviet territory. And now, he unleashes a wild
attack on President Eisenhower. "I thought there was something
fishy about this friend of mine," says Khrushchev. Khrushchev's diatribe wrecks
the Paris summit conference. October 1960, a
belligerent Khrushchev goes to New York for
an emergency session at the United Nations. A crisis in the Congo brings
virtually every world leader to the UN. At the United Nations,
Khrushchev suffers a setback. He fails in his attempt to
unseat Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold, and gives
vent to his displeasure in characteristic fashion. [music playing] [non-english speech] NARRATOR: During his visit,
Khrushchev courts Fidel Castro, for Cuba would make an ideal
Soviet missile base only 90 miles from American shores. A show of American force
will stop their plan but Cuba will remain
a communist stronghold in the Western hemisphere. [non-english speech] NARRATOR: 1961,
Khrushchev declares that under his leadership,
communism is not only spreading across the globe,
it is conquering the heavens. The Soviet Union hails astronaut
Yuri Gagarin as the first man to journey through outer space. An exultant Nikita Khrushchev
boasts that soon communism must dominate the world. It is, he declares, the
society of the future. [non-english speech] [applause] NARRATOR: Khrushchev's alliance
with red China, however, makes him uneasy
about the future. Mao Tse Tung is
treacherous and barbaric, and he leads a nation
nearly 700 million strong. The two chieftains repeatedly
clash over communist policies toward the West. Khrushchev knows he
has a dangerous ally. [applause] Within the Soviet Union
itself lurked other dangers for Nikita Khrushchev. The first man to rule the
Soviet Union, Nikolai Lenin, took unto himself a
lieutenant, Josef Stalin. And at the end,
they were enemies. Many suspect that Lenin was
poisoned by Stalin himself. Stalin, in turn, died suddenly
in the middle of a power struggle with his underlings. Now, Khrushchev rules
the Soviet Union and he is surrounded
by men who covet his position and his power. Which of them, Khrushchev must
wonder, should he most fear? [music playing] [theme music]