Project 56 begins amid Admiral Nikolai Kuznetsov's confrontation with Nikita Khrushchev over major surface ships. Khrushchev expects Sergei Gorshkov to be more compliant after removing Kuznetsov, but Gorshkov instead leads the navy from 1956 to 1985. His method is patient and politically protective: let others take credit and prevent setbacks from becoming personal defeats. Repeated small advances offer a way to pursue naval expansion while surviving resistance from the political leadership.
Chapter · 2:19-4:09
Gorshkov survives opposition to the surface fleet
Gorshkov's long tenure rests on patient advances and political self-protection after Kuznetsov's confrontation with Khrushchev.