(3 of 7)
Roll the Drums. In Moscow alone, 8,000 mass meetings were held in two days, and at them well-briefed party activists worked over the communiqué. Said Radio Moscow: "The strongest impression which one gains among the population is that those dismissed have no following." At a U.S. embassy party, First Deputy Premier Anastas Mikoyan—who, as usual, had lithely jumped the right way—promised: "Things are going to be the same as before, only better." Scores of cities and towns named Molotov or Kaganovich petitioned with punctual unanimity to have their names changed. Ukrainian Premier Nikifor Kalchenko charged that during Stalin's reign Kaganovich had made "grave and unfounded accusations" against Ukrainian leaders, many of whom were purged. In Moscow, Presidium Alternate Alexei Kosygin said of Molotov and Kaganovich: "The basic fault that led to their anti-party activities was vanity. They considered they did not have enough power. They were more interested in discrediting party attainments than working for successes." He went on: "Kaganovich was so awkward, and misunderstood the party so badly, that he became the subject of ridicule. Such a man can bring no good."
Now the drumbeat of attack increased ominously. Marshal Zhukov, in measured words, told an armed forces rally that the four ousted leaders were guilty of "conspiratorial action." The Soviet army newspaper Red Star said that the accused had threatened to undermine the foundations of Soviet military security—a move "which would have played into the hands of the enemies of the Soviet state, the imperialist aggressors." Added the government newspaper Izvestia: "Molotov, Malenkov and Kaganovich, but especially Malenkov, are directly responsible for the disorganized state of Soviet agriculture during the past several years." Malenkov was also charged with "ignorance that retarded the development of electrical power stations." At week's end Pravda was able to report a "wave of popular wrath."
"Hatching Cunning Schemes." The climax of the hate campaign came with an address given by Khrushchev to the workers of the Elektrosila factory in Leningrad, and broadcast nationally. Khrushchev accused Malenkov, Molotov and Kaganovich of "hatching cunning schemes" to obtain "key positions in the party," and called Shepilov "a most shameless double-dealing individual."
Khrushchev's choice of Leningrad, Russia's second city (pop. 4,800,000), was in itself cunning. The "plotters," said Khrushchev, had timed their attack on the Central Committee to coincide with the 250th anniversary (June 23) of Leningrad,* to prevent Presidium members from taking part in the celebrations in that city. Reason: the anti-party group was "particularly gravely guilty of the most flagrant errors and shortcomings which took place in the past" in Leningrad.