ABSTRACT
The term ‘de-Stalinization’ as applied to Soviet politics means the process by which the Stalinist elements have been extracted from Soviet politics. This has not been a simple process, for neither in the Soviet Union nor elsewhere is there clear agreement on the precise meaning of the Stalinist elements which need to be eliminated nor on the extent of the required changes. For some, the criticism of Stalin made at the Twentieth Congress of the CPSU and in the months that followed represented the entire process. For others, these events signified the beginning of a protracted political struggle that will end only with the complete restoration of Leninist norms.
