The secret police under Brezhnev Flashcards
In ____ Brezhnev promoted ____ ________ to head the ___
1967
Yuri Andropov
KGB
What was Andropov’s strategy as head of the KGB?
His strategy was to achieve maximum control through a minimum of violence
Andropov’s political views
Andropov was a conservative, suspicious of liberalisation
Although Andropov was a ___________ and suspicious of ________ _______, there was no return to the mass ______ of the Civil War or of the ______ period
conservative
cultural
freedom
terror
Stalin
Andropov’s key priority was the
suppression of dissidents
Andropov’s key priority was the suppression of dissidents - what did he issue that reflects this?
In 1968 he issued KGB Order No. 0051, “On the tasks of state security agencies in combating ideological sabotage by the adversary”. The Order set out the policy of increased surveillance of and action against dissidents
Andropov reformed the KGB to ensure that it could effectively identify dissidents. Between 1967 and 197 he introduced the following measures to ensure that the KGB was highly efficient
- KGB agents were not allowed to accept gifts and were forced to declare their financial assets
- KGB agents whose relatives broke the law were sacked
Emigration was Andropov’s preferred weapon against well-known dissidents. However, less well-known figures could be sent to…
psychiatric institutions for compulsory psychiatric treatment. The policy had been used by Stalin and Khrushchev, but was expanded dramatically under Brezhnev
Under Andropov the KGB employed more…
sophisticated techniques (including surveillance, harassment and hospitalisation) to keep dissident groups small, divided and suspicious of each other
Benefits of repressive psychiatry under Andropov
Officially, the government argued that anti-Soviet behaviour was a sign of a “paranoid reformist delusion”: a mental illness. Andropov did not believe this. However, he recognised that sending someone to hospital was much less likely to attract the attention of the world media than sending someone to prison.
Criminal records were public documents and therefore Western journalists could trace dissidents who were sent to prison. psychiatric records were private; therefore it was easier for the government to hide its repression
As psychiatric patients, their “treatment” could continue indefinitely, whereas prison terms had to come to an end. Finally, psychiatric patients could be prescribed medication to keep them quiet
Andropov changes the emphasis of the KGB from…
repression to prevention
Why did Andropov change the emphasis of the KGB from repression to prevention? + provide an example
He did this for two main reasons. First he believed that Stalinist repression was ineffective. Second, there was a growing belief in the party that socialism was incompatible with widespread repression
From November 1972, the KGB adopted a policy of issuing official warnings
Nonetheless, warnings did not always persuade dissidents to conform. In such cases dissidents could be:
- exiled
- sent to prison
- sent to psychiatric institutions for “treatment”
- demoted or sacked from their jobs
The number of dissidents sent to prison more than ____ under Andropov
tripled
Who were the most high-profile dissidents of the Brezhnev period?
Sakharov and Solzhenitsyn
Andrei Sakharov
Andrei Sakharov (1921-1989) was a prominent Soviet physicist and human rights activist. He played a key role in the development of the Soviet Union’s nuclear weapons program and later became an outspoken critic of the government’s policies, particularly its violation of human rights. Sakharov is known for his efforts to promote disarmament, freedom of speech, and political openness in the Soviet Union. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1975 for his advocacy of human rights.
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (1918-2008) was a Russian writer and historian, best known for his works exposing the harsh realities of life under Soviet totalitarianism. His most famous work, “The Gulag Archipelago,” exposed the Soviet forced labour camp system and its atrocities. Solzhenitsyn’s writings often criticized the Soviet regime and explored themes of freedom, morality, and the resilience of the human spirit. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1970 for his literary contributions
In 1975 Sakharov published “__ _______ ___ ___ _____”
My
Country
and
the World
The Helsinki Agreement
The 1975 Helsinki Agreement committed countries across Europe to respect human rights. The Soviet Government was a signatory of the agreement. Consequently, following 1975 dissidents used this to show that the treatment of dissidents was in breach of Soviet obligations under the Helsinki Agreement. Dissidents knew that they could not legally force the government to respect human rights even after the agreement was signed. But they could use the agreement as publicity to embarrass the government and thereby create pressure for change
With the exception of one or two high-profile outspoken figures, Andropov’s methods were successful in dealing with Soviet dissidents. However, 1979 was a difficult year for the Soviet Government and therefore they introduced stricter policies in anticipation of growing dissent. The problems facing the leadership included:
- economic slow down
- poor harvests
- war in Afghanistan
- the failure of Brezhnev’s negotiations with the USA
- growing corruption
- growing non-conformity
Andropov was aware of Brezhnev’s failings as a leader:
the corruption of large parts of the government and popular discontent with the government. Moreover, he was concerned about growing anti-Communist feeling in Eastern Europe, particularly in Poland where rising food prices had led to mass strikes. Andropov used information about popular discontent to justify a series of authoritarian policies
According to KGB reports, loss of faith in the system led to social malaise which included an increase in:
- alcoholism
- poor labour discipline
- increased black market trade
- avoidance of military service
- demand for Western goods
- sympathy for strikes taking place in Poland
- increased Church attendance
- Failing birth rate
Andropov introduced a series of policies designed to tackle the malaise by heightening discipline - what were some of these policies?
- Anti-corruption
- Anti-alcohol campaign
- Operation Trawl
Anti-corruption
Andropov investigated senior party officials and industrial managers who were using Soviet resources to make themselves rich
Anti-alcohol campaign
Workers could be sacked and put on trial for drunkenness and could be fined for damaging machinery or products if they were drunk at work
Operation Trawl
