Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
Brezhnev & Stability - 1964-82 - Coggle Diagram
Brezhnev & Stability - 1964-82
Bs govern. focused on
stability & restoration
first acts were to reverse Ks unpop. party reforms
reversed aspects of D-S & ended economic change
stability created new problems :
led to
Stagnation
& last years of Bs rule characterised by growing corruption not addressed
revolutionary aspects became
less obvious
→ believed revol. transf. of society been achieved between
1917 - 1930
→ needed to keep going on course set by L & S
→ party became defenders of
status quo
rather than revolutionary force for change
Restoration
1964-65
leadership based on
informal pact
between
Brezhnev & Kosygin
→ pact designed to ensure govern. stability
committed themselves as :
ensured two top jobs in govern. not occupied by same person →
stop emergence of new leader
→
B was General Secretary & K was Premier
- most important jobs
divided key posts in govern.
equally
between supporters
ensured party & state officials kept jobs for long periods to limit opportunities for
Patronage
pact held from
1964 - 70
when K lost his job & B emerged as most powerful person in soviet leadership
Stability of Cadres
govern. based on SoC '
trust in cadres
→ policy discouraged promotions or demotions within govern.
replaced Ks
1961 policy of limited terms
→ SoC ensured support for new leaders from govern. officials
bc it gave them a job
Restoration of party
B reformed party reversing Ks key reforms :
Centralisation
- K tried to break up central ministries & decentralise govern. by giving more power to republics
→ B reversed this -
re-established all-union ministries
B ended split between
industrial & agriculture wings of party
Article 6 of 1977 constitution
- officially recognised partys leading role in society
→ established superiority of
party over state
Gerontocracy
SoC led to static govern. where there was little change
1964-71
- only 2 people promoted to Polit
1966-71
80-90%
of CC members retained their jobs following party congress
→ govern. aged - B style of govern. nicknamed
Gerontocracy : rule of old people
as govern aged it became less effective:
style of govern. created
gen gap
between govern & society
senior officials became ill & could not preform their jobs
SoC meant there was limited opportunities for propmotion
system provided no incentives to work hard bc there were few opportunities for promotion
Corruption
opportunities for advancement limited → created context for corruption
officials used positions to grow rich knowing they were unlikely to be disciplined
form of corruption - sell goods on
Black market
→
ie a director of moscow food store took bribes to pass on lux. food