The Leadership of N. S. Khrushchev: A Reassessment. Triumphs and Limitations, 1961-2

This thesis provides a reassessment of the policies of the Soviet government in the years 1961-2, examining Khrushchev's leadership role in particular. It looks at the internal and external pressures put upon Khrushchev during this period, where possible drawing on recent primary sources for more material. The thesis can be seen as dealing with three main areas. Internally, Soviet political life is viewed in the context of the Twenty Second Party Congress of October 1961. In the realm of foreign policy, two case studies are carried out, one on the building of the Berlin Wall in August 1961, the other concerning the Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962. The aim of this thesis is therefore to achieve a balanced perspective on the successes and failures of Khrushchev as leader, bearing in mind the constraints of Soviet and international pressures