Theme 3 Secret Police 2 Khrushchev-Brezhnev-Andropov Flashcards
What did Khrushchev do to reform the role of the secret police?
Krushchev quickly limited the power of he secret police after Beria’s removal.
-Rebranded into the KGB.
-Dismantled the Gulag system and forced labour was never utilised again.
What was the KGB?
Committee of State Security established in 1954. Organisation that controlled the secret police.
Set up to bring the party back under control and was bodyguard of politburo members.
What still remained of the terror after 1953?
Surveillance of enemies continued by the KGB.
Yuri Andropov headed the organisation in 1967.
Which dissidents were targeted?
Intellectuals who had independent ways of thinking, were seen as opponents. Military research was banned and freedom as professionals greatly reduced.
Political dissidents:
Those who tried to hold the government accountable for its own laws; particularly concerned over human rights.
Nationalists: Vocal groups from minorities such as Ukraine and Georgia that wanted their native languages and cultures to have greater status.
What evidence is there that the government tried to silence nationalist groups under Andropov?
Police arrested 20 leading nationalists to attempt to deter from future dissidents.
- Mysterious fire destroyed Ukrainian archive for science in Kyiv.
Who were the refuseniks?
Soviet Jewish population that had been denied the chance to emigrate to Israel. Had strong backing from the US.
How did dissidents often express their discontent with the system?
Illegal, self-published materials spread criticisms and concerns of the Soviet system.
- They became popular in the later 1960s.
How did Andropov deal with the dissidents rather than through obvious terror tactics?
Andropov took an approach of threatening expulsion from their professional organisation. This could include dismissal of pemission to publish and from their post.
“Dissident” labels often cast out people from society with discrimination in work etc.
What does the new criminal code in 1966 suggest about Andropov’s desire to tackle dissent?
Dropped the ban on night-time interrogations as they were vital in getting intent when accusing of anti-Soviet behaviour.
How were psychiatric hospitals used under Andropov?
Dissidents were often sent to psychiatric hospitals. This became common practice as it discredited them in the eye of the soviet people.
These hospitals were often run by the NKVD.
Patients could be “treated” with shocks and drugs.
. What was internal exile and how was it used?
Troublesome academics were sent to internal exile where they would cause less trouble - such as Siberia.
Why was the sneaking of records to the West challenging for the Soviet government
This garnered them bad publicity that became a constant source of irritation to the Soviet Government. Soviet leadership were concerned with the USSRs international reputation. Treatments of dissidents were seen as a violation of human rights.
Helsinki Accords signed in 1975 meant that USSR was more open to criticism by 33 countries who also signed the accords.
What support did the dissidents get from the general public and the leadership of the Communist Party?
Dissidents had little support. Dissidents struggled to form demonstrations and organise themselves.
. What evidence is there to suggest Andropov succeeded?
dissident groups were kept small and unco-ordinated by Andropov’s methods. The secret police had removed its constant sense of terror by more subtle methods such as survailance and technology (bugging devices).
How did Andropov escalate the monitoring of dissident groups after 1982?
Moved to a more technological approach where conversations were recorded with tape and cassette recorders and bugs and listening devices were used in briefcases and bras.
