Part 6/8:
Despite his brutal efficiency, Beria's loyalty to Stalin did not shield him from the shifting tides of Soviet politics. By January 1946, he had resigned as head of the NKVD but still exerted significant influence within the government. With Stalin's declining health and eventual death in March 1953, Beria sensed an opportunity to seize power in a tumultuous vacuum.
However, his political maneuvers would ultimately lead to his downfall. Nikita Khrushchev, with strategic support from other influential figures, orchestrated Beria's arrest. Accusations ranged from treason to ruthless purges, rendering Beria a potent target in a power struggle that emerged in the wake of Stalin's death.