Stability and Stagnation under Brezhnev Flashcards
What happened to reform after Khrushchev?
The government effectively ended it.
Brezhnev: believed the revolution had been completed by Lenin and Stalin
SO
He argued the party needed to RESIST CHANGE and focus instead on ‘stability’
What was ‘restoration’?
The process by which Brezhnev reversed Khruschev’s key reforms:
- reversed decentralisation: re-established the all-union ministries that Khrushchev had abolished
- ended the split between industrial and agricultural wings of the party
What was ‘Stability of cadres’?
Brezhnev abolished many of Khruschev’s reforms
Specifically: reversed fixed-term positions BUT Not a return to Stalinist Terror INSTEAD, HE CONTROLLED THE PARTY BY: Offering Party members security—
“Stability of cadres” discouraged demotions or changes in personnel within the government.
This ensured job security for party members.
What did restoration lead to?
A period of political stagnation
1970-85
What was the Gerontocracy?
The stability of cadres meant that
Government officials stayed in the same job for years SO:
• Few young people entered the government
• Average age of government officials increased
1964-71: only 2 people were promoted to the Politburo
The average age of people in Politburo:
1966-58
1982-75
Gerontocracy was the nickname b
How did political stagnation 1970-85 lead to inefficiency?
Government became less effective as it aged
Under Brezhnev: extremely limited opportunities for promotion
SO
Officials effectively stuck in dead-end jobs: few opportunities for advancement.
SO
‘Stability of cadres’ provided no incentives for hard work— so few opportunities for promotion.
Why was corruption a product of Brezhnev’s political stagnation?
Under Brezhnev: sackings rare. Career development and options for progression? Extremely limited.
SO— context for huge corruption created:
Soviet officials COULD NOT grow rich through hard work and promotion
SO used their positions to grow rich: knew they were unlikely to be disciplined
What examples of political corruption were there under Brezhnev?
Sell luxury goods on the black market.
Brezhnev was implicated in the corruption:
his daughter Galina Brezhneva
able to get access to diamonds—
one of her lovers smuggled millions of pounds worth of diamonds out of the USSR:
EVENTUALLY he was prosecuted (after Brezhnev’s death)
Why was moral decline a product of Brezhnev?
A change in the character of government:
L,S,K: government followed a utopian vision:
- encouraged the Soviet people to WORK HARD to build SOCIALISM
Brezhnev: the jobs done! He talked of Revolution in other parts of the world (Zimbabwe, Mexico, Peru) BUT no longer encouraged revolutionary spirit at home.
SO: Soviet people became increasingly cynical—
While Brezhnev argued socialism had been achieved,
the majority of Russians realised there were major problems: corruption and stagnation
What impact did Andropov and Chernenko have on the politics of the Soviet Union?
Both close to Brezhnev and so rejected reform.
YET Andropov initiated policies designed to end corruption and increase efficiency:
• abandoned ‘Stability of cadres’, replacing a quarter of senior officials
• most important initiative? Anti-corruption campaign
Chernenko: also unwilling to consider MAJOR reform. Ill health & brevity of rule: achieved very little.
What impact did Andropov’s anti-corruption campaign have?
It attacked senior figures such as: • Red Army generals and
• Minister of the Interior: Nikolai Shchelokov
ALSO •”Boris the Gypsy” prosecuted
