In March of 1953, Joseph Stalin, premier of the Soviet Union, died suddenly leaving an
enormous power vacuum at the center of Soviet leadership. While Nikita Khruschev would
eventually be his long-standing successor, the transition of power was neither linear nor smooth.
Khruschev strategically allied himself with key members of the soviet presidium, including Giorgi
Malenkov, chairman of the presidium, and Georgy Zhukov, Marshal of the Red Army, to oust (and even
sometimes execute) members whom he felt posed a threat. Over the next 5 years, through his cunning
he brought himself from the bottom of the council of ministers to the premier of the Soviet Union,
usurping power from Malenkov and demoting Zhukov and bringing his allies to the center of power of
the USSR ("Leadership of the Soviet Union"). By the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis, Khruschev was
the unchallenged and feared leader of the USSR, and his rise to power ensured that most within the
Soviet leadership would not dare cross him.
Because of the nature of Khruschev's ascension to premier, the leadership was made up of
those whom he considered his allies. The leadership had to tread lightly to ensure that what happened
to many of their predecessors didn't happen to them. Khruschev chose his allies carefully, including
Anastas Mikoyan, Alexei Kosygin, Leonid Brezhnev, Nikolai Podgorny, and Frol Kozlov. These
members within the leadership were most outwardly loyal, and were few to gain Khruschev's trust.
Notably, Frol Kozlov was designated Khruschev's successor and one of few who was briefed before
the placement of nuclear weapons in Cuba (Foreign Relations of the United States), while Alexei
Kosygin and Leonid Brezhnev ascended to their positions of Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chairman
of the Presidium through their outspoken support of Khruschev ("Leonid Brezhnev").
Not all within leadership agreed with all of Khruschev's policies, however. Khuschev's advisor
and deputy premier, Anastas Mikoyan, disliked the idea of sending nuclear weapons to Cuba
("Dramatis Personae"). Rodion Malinovksy, Minister of Defense, sought to expand the military in direct
opposition to Khruschev's goal to limit it in favor of nuclear weapons. Mikhail Suslov's strong hatred of
the West made him strongly disagree with Khruschev's policies of peaceful coexistence and
destalinization, making him one of few with such beliefs to make it to the presidium ("The Foreign
Policy Views of Mikhail Suslov). These members remained in power because Khruschev saw value in
their abilities to strengthen the USSR which outweighed their dissent to his policies, but pushing too far
could see them suffering similar fate to those who challenged Khruschev in the past.
Some members within the Presidium were notably power-hungry, and some more so than they
were loyal to Khruschev. For example, Brezhnev and Podgorny were engaged in a power struggle
throughout their time in the presidium which could often put one by Khruschev's side and the other
against ("The Policy Views of Nikolai Podgorny"). Khruschev was a keen and sharp premier who could
sniff out and effectively prepare against attempts to usurp him, and will not easily be taken down by
any power-hungry members of the leadership.
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikita_Khrushchev
https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1961-63v05/d25
https://www.belfercenter.org/sites/default/files/legacy/files/CMC50/
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Leonid-Ilich-Brezhnev
http://www.cubanmissilecrisis.org/background/dramatis-personae/ussr/
"The Foreign Policy Views of Mikhail Suslov." Central Intelligence Agency, 1978
"The Foreign Policy Views of Nikolai Podgorny." Central Intelligence Agency, June 1977
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