ative elements of his personality continued to emerge. He became convinced that his own personal doctors were attempting to poison him. (Lih) Whether or not this was true is unknown; however, Stalin died on 5 March 1953, before any action could be taken. (Daniels) In the years after Stalin's death, the Soviets faced two major challenges. The first was to rid the U.S.S.R. of the superfluity created by their former leader's personal tyranny. They also had to revise the system of government and economy to compete in the changing world market. The Communists staked everything on industrialization during internal problems of the 1920's, but this system was imperfect at best. (Lih) Stalin's regime emphasized mobilization and central control over efficiency and consumer freedom during his rule. This system functioned well during the war, but was largely ineffective during peacetime. At this time, the Soviet populous had to be satisfied, or the government would risk tremendous upheaval and possibly being overthrown. (Lih) De-Stalinization, as the reform was called, was difficult because most of the Soviet Union's top officials were parties to Stalin's crimes. One of the few who could use Stalin's record as a weapon with impunity was Nikita Khrushchev, who ascended to the position of secretary of the Communist party shortly after Stalin's death. He immediately released millions of Soviet prisoners held in labor camps, marking the beginning of the end of Soviet tyranny. (Lih) Khrushchev's foreign policy was inconsistent at best. In one instance, he banged his shoe against a desk at the United Nations, promising to crush capitalism. In another well-publicized image, he was standing in an Iowa cornfield trying to learn new American agricultural techniques. He advocated disarmament at the same time as he threatened mass production of atomic weapons. (Lih) His domestic action, however, was worse. He attempted to solv...
