Russian Applecart
It's an ironic comment on Russian politics that the Guardian greeted the 'news of Mr. Khrush- chev's downfall with what had obviously been prepared as his obituary. Many reasons have been suggested for his fall from grace, though for my- self I think that the desire to reach some sort of agreement with Western Germany was crucial. This, however, can only have determined the timing. It was Khrushchev's highly personal way of conducting his politics that must finally have rallied the opposition, together with a touch of nepotism. But it's odd that the feeling should have arisen that he was in some way `un-Russian.' To foreigners a politician comes to represent the whole image of his country and for millions Khrushchev's ebullience and joviality, as well as his unpredictability and often calculated fits of temper, had seemed to spell out the entire Russian character. His overthrow, in fact, looks like a de- pressing victory for the Soviet Establishment.
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