ABSTRACT
Khrushchev's boldest step in establishing power was his denunciation of Stalin in a speech delivered secretly to a party congress on February 25, 1956. By accusing Stalin of subverting communism through terror and a personality cult, Khrushchev created the political atmosphere he needed to broaden his ambitious reforms. Denounced for subjecting the Soviet Union to “hare-brained schemes,” of reform, Khrushchev passed his remaining years peacefully studying agriculture and writing his memoirs. Destalinization was a major step toward Khrushchev's goal of creating a more beneficent socialist society, and its impact was felt long after he was forced into retirement. By favoring what critics called “economic miracles,” and avoiding systemic reforms, Khrushchev assured that agriculture would remain the Achilles' heel of the Soviet economy well into the 1970s and 1980s.
