Stability and stagnation under Brezhnev 1964-82

Question 1

Restoration

Answer 1

Brezhnev reversed Khrushchev’s key reforms in a process called ‘restoration’.
He reversed decentralisation, re-establishing the all-union ministries that Khrushchev had abolished.
He ended the split between industrial and agricultural wings of the Party

Question 2

Stability of Cadres

Answer 2

He reversed fixed-term positions.
However, there was not a return to Stalinist terror
Rather, Brezhnev controlled the Party by offering Party members security.
Stability of Cadres discouraged demotions or changes in personnel within government, ensuring job security for Party members.

Question 3

Political stagnation 1970-85
- Gerontocracy (rule of old people)

Answer 3

The stability of cadres meant that government officials stayed in the same job for years.
As a result, few young people entered the government and the average age of government officials increased.
Between 1964 and 1971 only two people were promoted to the Politburo.
The average age for people in the Politburo rose from 58 in 1966 to 75 in 1982.

Question 4

Political stagnation 1970-85
- Inefficiency

Answer 4

As the government aged it became less effective.
Officials were effectively stuck in dead-end jobs with few opportunities for advancement.
Stability of cadres provided no incentives for hard work, because there were so few opportunities for promotion.

Question 5

Political stagnation 1970-85
- Corruption

Answer 5

Sackings were rare and career development and options for progression were also limited.
This created the context for huge corruption.
One form of corruption was to sell luxury goods on the black market.
Brezhnev’s daughter Galina was able to get access to diamonds - one of her lover’s smuggled millions of pounds’ worth out the USSR.

Question 6

Political stagnation 1970-85
- Moral decline

Answer 6

Brezhnev talked about revolution in other parts of the world such as Zimbabwe, Mexico and Peru, but he had no longer encouraged revolutionary spirit at home.#
As a result, the Soviet people became increasingly cynical, for a while Brezhnev argued that socialism had been achieved.
The majority of Russians realised there were major problems of corruption and stagnation.

Question 7

Andropov and Chernenko 1982-85

Answer 7

After the death of Brezhnev, Andropov and Chernenko ruled.
Andropov initiated policies that were designed to end corruption and increase efficiency:
- he abandoned the stability of cadres, replaces a quarter of senior officials
- anti-corruption campaign
The anti-corruption campaign attacked senior figures such as the Red Army generals.
Chernenko was also unwilling to consider major reform - he achieved very little as a leader due to his ill health.