The Twentieth Congress and the British Communist Party

No one in Western Europe could have foreseen the extraordinary events of 1956 in Eastern Europe. The year opened with the general belief that the cautious de-stalinisation which had begun with Stalin's death in the Spring of 1953 would continue. In Yugoslavia-a useful yardstick by which to measure changes in Soviet policy-a trade agreement had been signed in October 1954, and about the same time Tito's speeches began to be factually reported. During 1955 there was a continued improvement in diplomatic and political relations, with a visit of the Soviet leaders to Belgrade in May-in the course of which Khrushchev put all the blame for the bitter dispute between the two countries upon Beria-an accusation that was soon to be extended to cover most of the crimes of the later Stalin years. Inside the Soviet Union the principle of collective leadership was increasingly re-affirmed, and the cult of the individual increasingly denounced. Stalin was not yet, however, named as at least part villain of the piece. Indeed a Moscow despatch from Alexander Werth of the New Statesman (28th January 1956) suggested a certain rehabilitation of Stalin's reputation in the closing months of 1955. However, the 20th Congress was soon to define 'the Stalin question' in very certain terms