1956 1.1: Death of a Comrade
When Diplomacy Fails Podcast11 Jan 2024

1956 1.1: Death of a Comrade

What happened when the architect of the Cold War passed away? Would the Soviet Union Stalin built adapt to a new successor, or would a set of chain reactions doom the empire in its cradle?


If you want to learn more about what followed after the Korean War – as a story and as a year of significance, 1956 has few equals, and we open our narrative with the event which set up all subsequent events – the death of Josef Stalin on 5th March 1953. As far as deaths of prominent characters go, the death of Stalin from a succession of strokes at the age of 73 sticks out particularly – a man who allowed his paranoia get the better of him, out of fear of his own vulnerability and out of lust for power, died without being the victim of any underhanded scheme. As we’ll see, he also died without naming an official successor, throwing into chaos those men who had stuck around long enough to accumulate some power for themselves.


In this episode we’ll meet these figures – the so-called ‘collective leadership’ of the Soviet Union, which included such heavy hitters as Molotov, Malenkov, Lavrenti Beria, Anastas Mikoyan and a sometimes crude, always blunt figure by the name of Nikita Khrushchev. The story of what would come after Stalin is a gripping and fascinating snapshot of life at the top of the Soviet greasy pole. It prepares us for the eventful months which are to come, by investigating exactly what it was that compelled these men to undo some of what Stalin had made, while still holding onto the terrifying edifice which held half of the continent of Europe in rapture.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episoder(744)

#51: 1 August 1914 III - The Kaiser's Rollercoaster

#51: 1 August 1914 III - The Kaiser's Rollercoaster

We open with the shattered dreams of Kaiser Wilhelm II, as the British claim a 'misunderstanding' must have occurred to make Berlin believe Britain and France could remain neutral. The rollercoaster o...

17 Mar 202542min

#50: 1 August 1914 II - 'There Must Be Some Misunderstanding'

#50: 1 August 1914 II - 'There Must Be Some Misunderstanding'

In the final hours of peace, the German government was led to believe that a miracle had occurred. Incredibly, Britain had affirmed its intention not only to remain neutral, but to guarantee the neutr...

10 Mar 202552min

Trump Betrays Ukraine - What is America Doing?

Trump Betrays Ukraine - What is America Doing?

After that disgraceful display in the White House, I couldn't stay silent any longer. Three years on from when I first offered my thoughts on the situation, in this very personal and raw episode, I co...

9 Mar 20251h 55min

#49: 1 August 1914 I - Rolling The Iron Dice

#49: 1 August 1914 I - Rolling The Iron Dice

We're in the endgame now, but somehow, not everyone got the message.There was plenty of waiting to be done. Berlin was waiting on Russia's reply to its ultimatum, and France was also expected to reply...

3 Mar 202539min

#48: 31 July 1914 V - Britain On Defence

#48: 31 July 1914 V - Britain On Defence

In our final JULY episode of the July Crisis, we return to Britain, where the pressure was building to make a decision. Russian mobilisation was clearly in the air, and if the news was true, German mo...

24 Feb 202544min

#47: 31 July 1914 IV - 'A Finger's Breadth From War'

#47: 31 July 1914 IV - 'A Finger's Breadth From War'

Now that Berlin had accepted that war with Russia was inevitable, it remained to prepare the diplomatic ground.German diplomacy had worked behind the scenes to court Romania and the Ottoman Empire, bu...

17 Feb 202534min

#46: 31 July 1914 III - 'We'd Like Those Chaps To Be In It Too'

#46: 31 July 1914 III - 'We'd Like Those Chaps To Be In It Too'

As the news of Russian mobilisation and Germany's Kriegsgefahr spread across Europe, urgent telegrams followed.Whether in London, Berlin, or Paris, the picture was becoming clearer, but that did not m...

10 Feb 202540min

#45: 31 July 1914 II - From Russia with Lies

#45: 31 July 1914 II - From Russia with Lies

Russian general mobilisation was underway, and with red imperial posters announcing this grave new step, it could hardly be kept a secret. Yet, somehow, Germany seemed the only power truly in the loop...

3 Feb 202539min

Populært innen Historie

rss-dette-ma-aldri-skje-igjen
med-egne-oyne
rss-katastrofe
henrettelsespodden
rss-benadet
historier-som-endret-norge
historier-som-endret-verden
rss-nadelose-nordmenn-gestapo
sektledere
aftenposten-historie
rss-frontkjemperne
rss-strid-de-norske-borgerkrigene
rss-politisk-preik
historiepodden
rss-bisarr-historie
liberal-halvtime
rss-historiepodden-ww2
undersattene
rss-gamle-greier
vare-historier