Video: 'Universal Newsreel'
(Wednesday, October 14, 1964) — In a swift and unexpected political shake-up, Nikita Khrushchev, the dominant figure of the Soviet Union for more than a decade, was forced into retirement today by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU).
Citing advanced age and deteriorating health, the committee voted to relieve Khrushchev of his roles as General Secretary of the Party and Chairman of the Council of Ministers, effectively ending his leadership of the USSR.
In a closed meeting of the Central Committee, top Soviet officials, including Mikhail Suslov, Dmitry Polyansky, Alexander Shelepin, Leonid Brezhnev, and Petr Shelest, sharply criticized Khrushchev’s tenure.
Among the grievances leveled against him were charges that he attempted to foster a “cult of personality,” mismanaged the Soviet economy, and brought the nation dangerously close to war during international crises in Suez, Berlin, and Cuba.
Video: 'Khrushchev Sensation (1964)'
His autocratic leadership style and frequent insults toward colleagues and foreign allies were also condemned.
A resolution passed by the committee stated that Khrushchev’s actions had violated Leninist principles of collective leadership, creating an “abnormal situation” in which other senior party leaders were unable to effectively fulfill their responsibilities.
The resolution further criticized Khrushchev for consolidating too much power in his hands and for his intolerance toward differing viewpoints within the party.
Following his removal, the committee granted Khrushchev a comfortable retirement package, including a pension of 500 rubles per month, a security detail, a Moscow apartment, a dacha in the countryside, and continued use of his GAZ-13 Chaika limousine and chauffeur.
Video: 'Cold War - 1964 Khrushchev deposed'
In a key decision marking a shift in Soviet governance, the Central Committee opted to separate the roles of party and government leadership. Leonid Brezhnev was installed as the new leader of the Communist Party, while Alexei Kosygin took over as Premier, replacing Khrushchev in the nation’s highest executive office.
The news of Khrushchev’s ouster, which shocked the Soviet Union and the world, was officially announced on Oct. 16, 1964, in the state newspaper Pravda.
The brief statement attributed Khrushchev’s retirement to his age and health, and confirmed the election of Brezhnev as First Secretary of the CPSU.
Khrushchev’s dramatic exit marks the end of a volatile and reformist era in Soviet history, during which he steered the country through de-Stalinization, introduced economic reforms, and faced several high-stakes international crises.
