Khrushchev

Nyikita Hruscsov

Khrushchev was, above all, a survivor. He shrugged off the deprivations of his childhood to assume Party office at an early age; he saw active service in two wars and lived to be decorated for bravery; he weathered the savage purges of Stalin's rule and ultimately succeeded to all the dictator's powers. He was once described by Stalin as a narodnik (populist) - and that perhaps was the key to his success.