Which event in the Soviet Union involved rival leaders attempting to remove Nikita Khrushchev from power in 1957?

• A. Soviet Coup attempt (1957)
• B. The Khrushchev Thaw
• C. Berlin Crisis
• D. Cuban Missile Crisis

Answer: (C)

In this case the key idea is an internal power struggle within the Soviet leadership. After Stalin’s era, leadership in the Soviet Union was contested among top party figures, and Khrushchev’s rise depended on outmaneuvering rivals inside the Politburo.

In 1957, a faction led by veteran leaders attempted to remove Khrushchev from power through a coup-like move at a party meeting. They hoped to change the leadership and steer policy in a different direction. Khrushchev refused to yield, exposed the plan, and subsequently purged the conspirators, strengthening his grip on power.

This event is about internal party politics and a bid to shift who held the top positions, not about foreign-policy crises. The Berlin Crisis happened in 1961 and dealt with access to Berlin and Cold War tensions with the West; the Khrushchev Thaw refers to liberalization of culture and politics during his rule; the Cuban Missile Crisis occurred in 1962 over missiles in Cuba. So the described event is the 1957 internal attempt to remove Khrushchev.