▁death ▁of ▁Joseph ▁St alin ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 3 ▁the ▁new ▁Soviet ▁leadership ▁under ▁Nik ita ▁K hr ush chev ▁began ▁a ▁process ▁of ▁liberal ization ▁and ▁de - St alin ization . ▁This ▁created ▁a ▁power ▁struggle ▁within ▁the ▁party ▁between ▁the ▁Hard lin ers ▁who ▁opposed ▁the ▁re forms ▁and ▁K hr ush chev ' s ▁supp or ters . ▁Intern ation ally ▁the ▁divide ▁between ▁the ▁now - li ber al ▁mind ed ▁S ovi ets ▁and ▁the ▁hard line ▁leadership ▁of ▁China ▁became ▁apparent ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 6 0 s ▁with ▁the ▁S ino - S ov iet ▁split . ▁ ▁In ▁Bulg aria , ▁the ▁St alin ist ▁V ul ko ▁Cher ven kov ▁was ▁dismiss ed ▁from ▁the ▁leadership ▁of ▁the ▁party ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 4 ▁and ▁then ▁from ▁his ▁position ▁as ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 6 . ▁The ▁new ▁General - Secret ary ▁( Z h iv kov ) ▁began ▁to ▁implement ▁de - St alin ization ▁in ▁the ▁Bulgar ian ▁Commun ist ▁Party . ▁Anton ▁Y ug ov ▁succeeded ▁Cher ven kov ▁as ▁Prime ▁Minister , ▁but ▁was ▁removed ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 2 ▁— ▁succeeded ▁by ▁Zh iv kov ▁— ▁allowing ▁the ▁latter ▁to ▁remain ▁the ▁un ch alleng ed ▁leader ▁of ▁Bulg aria . ▁ ▁Pre par ations ▁In ▁October ▁ 1 9 6 4 ▁two ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁Central ▁Committee ▁of ▁the ▁Bulgar ian ▁Commun ist ▁Party , ▁Ivan ▁Tod or ov -