Well, ones who replaced him were just a tad less guilty in crimes committed by Stalinist system, if at all. You also have to take into account that Beria has a dubious distinction of being target of smear campaign by both Western and Soviet propaganda machines working is smooth cooperation. So picture is a "bit" distorted. However, it is known that he suggested "Letting East Germany go", as well as advocated number of policies directed toward less ideologized and more flexible economic system (allowing quasi-market co-operatives in manufacturing and distribution of consumer goods, for example). So it would not be too far-fetched to say that something like "Kosygin's reforms", universally recognized as high point of Soviet economy, could happen 10 years earlier.well, he would probably not last long (given what he did)
You seem to have pretty incorrect opinion of the man.Beria was an outright monster. I don't know how long he'd last.
He'd try to molest the wrong person's relative (say a member of the Politburo or some general) and BAM!
Think Caligula, who was killed by Senators after forcibly prostituting their wives.
Well, ones who replaced him were just a tad less guilty in crimes committed by Stalinist system, if at all. You also have to take into account that Beria has a dubious distinction of being target of smear campaign by both Western and Soviet propaganda machines working is smooth cooperation. So picture is a "bit" distorted. However, it is known that he suggested "Letting East Germany go", as well as advocated number of policies directed toward less ideologized and more flexible economic system (allowing quasi-market co-operatives in manufacturing and distribution of consumer goods, for example). So it would not be too far-fetched to say that something like "Kosygin's reforms", universally recognized as high point of Soviet economy, could happen 10 years earlier.
We have scores of memoirs to prove it. My point is not that he wasn't a monster. But his being a monster did not distinguish him (or at least did not distinguish him much) among other members of Stalin's retinue. Yes, he probably had oversized libido, so to speak. So what? Is there anyone on this board spooked by KMT officials keeping harems and official concubines? However, what's more important for AH, Beria was favouring smaller role for Party in government and society and was not advocating worldwide expansion of Communist system at any cost. Besides, he was just better manager than those who fell him, pure and simple.This is an interesting point. How do we know that Beri was a monster?
Look, your link just proves what I said. There was huge smear campaign against Beria going on for 50 years, and now it is flat out impossible to distinguish truth from grisly legends. It is like trying to picture life in USSR circa 1930 using Heart attack dogs' comments on Pravda articles. You would get as much false leads as true ones and picture would be distorted into something not sharing much with reality.Did KMT officials pick women off the street and rape them?
Did they murder and mutilate said women when they were done?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lavrentiy_Beria#Sexual_sadism