Kim Il Sung in the Khrushchev Era: Soviet-DPRK Relations and the Roots of North Korean Despotism, 1953-1964Concentrating on the years 1953-64, this history describes how North Korea became more despotic even as other Communist countries underwent de-Stalinization. The author’s principal new source is the Hungarian diplomatic archives, which contain extensive reporting on Kim Il Sung and North Korea, thoroughly informed by research on the period in the Soviet and Eastern European archives and by recently published scholarship. Much of the story surrounds Kim Il Sung: his Korean nationalism and eagerness for Korean autarky; his efforts to balance the need for foreign aid and his hope for an independent foreign policy; and what seems to be his good sense of timing in doing in internal rivals without attracting Soviet retaliation. Through a series of comparisons not only with the USSR but also with Albania, Romania, Yugoslavia, China, and Vietnam, the author highlights unique features of North Korean communism during the period. Szalontai covers ongoing effects of Japanese colonization, the experiences of diverse Korean factions during World War II, and the weakness of the Communist Party in South Korea. |
Contents
Arisen from Ashes | 36 |
Crisis and Confrontation | 63 |
A Challenge to the Leader | 113 |
Copyright | |
4 other sections not shown
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
agricultural Albanian Annual Report April August Beijing cadres campaign CC plenum Ch'oe Ch'ang-ik China Chung Communism in Korea communist Congress contrast countries CPSU criticism cultural Cumings de-Stalinization December doboz domestic DPRK DPRK's early East European economic policies factories February fraternal guerrillas high-ranking Hoxha Hungarian diplomats Hungarian Embassy Hungarian Foreign Ministry Hungarian Legation industry instance intraparty January Japanese July June Khrushchev Kim Il Sung Kim's Korean Communist Korean political Korean War Kremlin KWP CC KWP leaders KWP leadership Lankov liberalization March measures Memorandum military Moscow nationalist North Korean North Korean leaders North Korean regime North Vietnamese November October officials P'yongyang Pak Ch'ang-ok Pak Il-u Park Chung Hee party peasants percent Práth proved purge rean reform regime's repressive Rhee role Scalapino and Lee Seoul September Sino-Soviet South Soviet Koreans Soviet Union Stalin Sung's tion unification USSR Vietnam Yan'an