Stalin places Khrushchev in charge of the NKVD.

123lll

Stalin during the final days of Nikolai Yezhov's downfall as NKVD chief gets a brain haemorrhage and is out of action for a week, after said week in which a doctors assessment states that no further medical conditions are present, is physically fine, and is in full control of his mental faculties. The day after, Stalin decides to travel to moscow to finalize Yezhov's removal as chief of the NKVD. As he arrives into the Kremlin, Beria is there and Stalin promptly tells him that he has decided to overlook him and Malenkov for position as chief of the NKVD and tells him his choice is Nikita Khrushchev, offers no explanation as to why and promptly leaves, telling an aide to phone the message to Khrushchev.

How does the NKVD look like under the administration of Khrushchev instead of Beria? Will the NKVD be any different during WW2? Will Khrushchev still win the post stalin power struggle circa 1953?
 
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Lalli

As boss of NKVD Khruschev would has even stronger position to take power if he still wants that. But not idea how things would change or would Khruschev even survives from the office.
 
CHKeeley

CHKeeley

I really feel like there’s a hard limit on how far you can push the “Stalin gets sudden brain damage and makes an inexplicable decision afterwards” PoD

All Stalin’s security chiefs came up through the state security organs. Khrushchev was a party boss. No reason at all for him to be appointed. Someone other than Beria? Sure. But not people like Khrushchev and Malenkov. It’s actually dangerous for Stalin since it’s linking people with patronage networks in the Party to people with patronage networks in the secret police… not something you want mixing very much. Especially when using the security services to police the Party.
 
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RousseauX

Donor
Ulyanovsk said:
I really feel like there’s a hard limit on how far you can push the “Stalin gets sudden brain damage and makes an inexplicable decision afterwards” PoD

All Stalin’s security chiefs came up through the state security organs. Khrushchev was a party boss. No reason at all for him to be appointed. Someone other than Beria? Sure. But not people like Khrushchev and Malenkov. It’s actually dangerous for Stalin since it’s linking people with patronage networks in the Party to people with patronage networks in the secret police… not something you want mixing very much. Especially when using the security services to police the Party.
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Stalin actually recommend Malenkov for post of NKVD chief in 1938, even though he didn't come from the security organs
 

Blyatnik

RousseauX said:
Stalin actually recommend Malenkov for post of NKVD chief in 1938, even though he didn't come from the security organs
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I second this. Not every Intel-gathering organization needs to be a ruthless super-spy or mass executioner. Actually contrary, Malenkov was an excellent organizer and would probably be a very good department head. I could see Malenkov doing a much better job than Beria and probably being able to get through to Stalin with undeniable evidence that Germany was going to invade, giving the Soviets advance warning (like they ignored in OTL) and actually using it.
 
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