The Continued Monitoring of Popular Discontent 1982-1985 Flashcards
When did Andropov become general secretary of the communist party?
1982
When did Andropov serve as the Soviet Ambassador to Hungary?
1956- during Hungarian Uprising
What impact did Andropov serving as the Ambassador for Hungary during the Hungarian uprising have on his views on dissent?
Did other politburo leaders share this belief?
He was convinced that dissent action could turn into a popular uprising that could threaten the state.
They were less convinced, but his role as General Secretary meant his perception influenced government actions
When did Andropov’s monitoring of dissident groups increase?
1982 (becomes general secretary)
Members of “Chronicle of Current Events” recall this period as one of the hardest to operate
Post 1982— new technology (alongside usual plain clothes police officers) meant monitoring was becoming more sophisticated.
Examples?
Tape and cassette recorders — conversations recorded
Listening decides and cameras — hid in briefcases and bras
Leading western academic who specialised on Soviet dissent at the time (1982-85) confirmed that the KGB were well informed of dissenter’s criticisms and their threat to stability was neutralised.
Name?
What did he say?
When?
Peter Reddaway
1983
[dissenters] “have made little or no headway among the mass of ordinary people in the Russian heartland”
Andropov realises that dissidents didn’t represent the majority, and that popular discontent would be more likely to be based on concerns of what nature? (1982-85)
Economic
What was Andropov greatly concerned with, in relation to economic conditions leading to popular discontent? 1982-85
INEFFICIENCY
Realised that if the government didn’t deliver a decent standard of living, discontent would be likely to spread.
When did the communist government in Poland face serous unrest?
Why?
1980-81
Decision to raise food prices
(Andropov was aware that economic issues could threaten instability in the USSR 1982-85)
What did he tell his doctor?
“We’ll make enough sausages, and then we won’t have any dissidents”
Under Andropov 1982-85, what did the secret police clamp down on to try and increase efficiency?
(This highlighted POPULAR CONCERNS- ie. this was a general concern too?)
Alcoholism and absenteeism
How did Andropov and the KGB clamp down on alcoholism and absenteeism in workplace 1982-85?
Spot checks on factories
Record attendance
Comb streets searching for truanting workers
The recording of attendance in work place by KGB 1982-85 particularly upset what group of people?
Why?
Women
They had to juggle and full time job with queueing for food
What was queueing (1982-85) partly a result of?
Government set prices
Cheap—> sold out quickly
What did a Soviet mother feel was part of her job 1982/85?
He in the right queue at the right time
HAD TO BE
What did Andropov’s actions 82-85 reveal about the public’s attitude to queuing and food prices?
They would rather have queues than higher food prices
(Andropov recognised economic reform needed) 82-85
The party leadership was made largely of old men who had become out of touch with the general public’s concerns.
What did Andropov tell the politburo that the leadership needed to do?
“acquire an understanding of the society in which we live”
VERY DIFFERENT APPROACH FROM PREVIOUS LEADERS
Andropov took a leading role in trying to acquire an understanding of Society and being about economic reform by visiting
Factories
Where was the factory Andropov visited and when to talk to workers?
What was the event like?
Moscow
2/1983
Contrived.
Those who met him felt restricted as he was the ex KGB head.
He was austere, humourless and had no charm.
BUT meant well. genuinely wanted to listen.
What was Andropov’s more effective method (than visiting factories) to tap into public concerns? 82-85
Appoint new government advisors
Who did Andropov surround himself with to tap into public concerns 82-85?
Relatively free thinkers (journalists and academics— in touch with different causes of dissent/inefficiency)
Which group did Andropov particular use to tap into public concerns 82-85?
Which individual especially? What did they argue?
A group of sociologists and economists from Novosibirsk
Tatyana Zaslavskaya
That the arbitrary nature of much of administration led to resentment
Who did Andropov promote in the party leadership 82-85 to try and get economic reform?
Younger, reformist generation
They had experience in the lower levels of the party, so more in touch with the realities of the Soviet Union
Included Gorbachev, Ligachev, Ryzhkov (who would later play key roles in attempting to reform)
In some ways, Andropov’s methods of monitoring popular discontent showed his greater desire to
Meet the needs of the general population and reform
82-85 Andropov’s methods of monitoring stalled in development of FIRM ACTION to address concerns:
Andropov’s answer was to instil _________________ to try and make the __________ work better (instead of changing it)
Further discipline in the workforce
Existing
What seriously hampered Andropov’s ability to bring more wide ranging reform?
I’ll health
1) The gov failed to address irritations 82-85 BUT wrong to view mid 1980s Soviet Union as socially unstable. Why?
2) Did this mean the population was happy?
1) -Little public criticism of government
- Social conflict was rare
- A well worked system of propaganda, censorship, rewards and sanctions was highly effective
2) No.
grumbling was a popular soviet pastime.
