Life and Times of Nikita Kruschev, by Roy MacGregor-Hastie

[p028] and Times of. Nikita Khrushchev. By Roy MacGregor Hastie. Panther Books, 2s. 6d. This book provides interesting background reading on the history of the Soviet State. Although it deals ‘more adequately with the ‘life’ than with the ‘times’ of Khrushchev there is no serious attempt to analyse his political development. It concen- trates rather on the macabre intrigue amongst the ‘top people’ of the Soviet bureaucracy. Hastie’s criti- cisms are seldom objective and are made in a loose, almost frivolous (though occasionally poignant) vein which the subject does not warrant. ‘Hitler was frightened of Stalin. He was even more scared of Stalin than Stalin was of him.’ Most of his comments flow directly from his political position which is clearly ‘Western orthodox’. - None- theless he cannot conceal a sneaking admiration for ‘ Nikita’—the sort of admiration most broad-minded indi- viduals concede to opportunist states- men who have risen from ‘nowhere’ at the expense of better men. It is apparent from this book that Khrushchev had a very scanty general education and a brief acquaintance with Marxist theory. The author demonstrates well Khrushchev’s com- -plete lack of principles, his ruthless- ness and political cowardice — par- ticularly in his very competent in- vestigation of the Tukhachevsky affair (it will chill your spine!) but he regards Trotsky and Stalin’s other opponents as having no ~ political significance other than as obstacles to the careers of Stalin and our hero, Khrushchev. In a biography this is perhaps understandable but it is evident that Hastie regards them: all LABOUR REVIEW—Winter, 1961-62 as rogues, the fittest of which survive. It is interesting to note that Khrushchev was on common ground with Trotsky in believing that Stalin ‘employed the New Economic Policy too long. But after losing his position, Khrushchev decides to dance to Stalin’s tune. ‘He who goes quietly goes furthest.’ Khrushchev put himself and his career before his principles. While Marxists were being persecuted, Khrushchev said: ‘ Under the leader- ship of Comrade Stalin, the “ Right- ists” have been beaten in our Party, beaten in the Moscow organization which is ideologically united around the genius of our leader Comrade Stalin.’ The important part played by Khrushchev during the wars of inter- vention and the second world war are well written against a background of enormous sacrifice and suffering of the Russian people who manage not to intrude often into Hastie’s book. There are also the odd snatches of humour: ‘Five thousand miles away in a Welsh mining town another revolutionary, Aneurin Bevan, was learning his trade. It was as if Fate had decided to forge a link between these two.’ (Khrushchev worked in a, coalmine.) In the light of the present-day political scene, this quote has interesting connotations. MLJ. Voice from the lottery