I know historical hindsight is 20/20, but how did no one bully this guy into giving up his moronic “de-stalinisation” policy? Like the SU was built by Stalin and now suddenly hes satan incarnate? No wonder SU citizens lost faith in the party over time, how can you trust a bunch of weather vanes?
He was really good at gathering support and after WW2 decimated good cadres he promoted career bureocrats and build himself a faction (ostensibly orthodox), something that would be never allowed in 20’s and 30’s. His opponents were weak shit - Malenkov was soft dough, Beria was too trusting and too liberal (yes the dude was like complete opposite of paranoia and hardline constantly attributed to him), Zhukov was really the same as Khrushchev, he should never be elevated to hero but dismissed after the war especially as the looting affair came to light, Molotov was already outed from the center and he was butthurt for that so he didn’t opposed Khrushchev too.
Then in 1953 cornman did a regular coup (which he absolutely couldn’t do without Zhukov help), everyone opposing him was straight up shot and disappeard, again something they do themselves but accused Stalin and Beria of.
Because those that tried got killed. Those that grumbled got purged. Simple as that. You might learn about how he delivered his “secret speech” to a huge group of dignitaries. He lied straight to their faces, often about things they witnessed personally, but nobody dared to oppose him. Again Zhukov is one to put huge blame on that, because if army opposed the coup it would stand no chance.