What was the purpose of Nikita Khrushchev’s secret speech?

Khrushchev delivered his secret speech in 1956 to criticize Joseph Stalin’s rule, including his abuses of power and the cult of personality built around him. Since Stalin was Khrushchev’s predecessor as Soviet leader, the speech’s purpose was to condemn the policies of his predecessor. It was not a celebration of Stalin or a denunciation of Lenin.

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