Politburo of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union

Politburo of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
Name	Politburo
Native name	Политбюро
Translit name	Politbyuro
House type	Political bureau
Body	Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
Jurisdiction	Soviet Union
Foundation	23 October 1917
Disbanded	29 August 1991
Succeeded by	Presidium of the Supreme Soviet
Leader1 type	First Chairman
Leader1	Vladimir Lenin
Leader2 type	Final General Secretary
Leader2	Mikhail Gorbachev
Members	Variable, typically 10–15 full members
Meeting place	Senate Palace, Moscow Kremlin, Moscow

Politburo of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union was the principal policymaking and executive committee within the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and, by extension, the supreme political authority in the Soviet Union. Established shortly after the October Revolution, it evolved from a small revolutionary directorate into a powerful oligarchy that controlled all major state, economic, and social policies. Its decisions, made in secret, were binding on the entire Party apparatus, the Government of the Soviet Union, and institutions like the KGB and the Red Army.

History

The Politburo was first formed by the Central Committee in October 1917 to provide political leadership during the Russian Revolution of 1917, with key early figures including Vladimir Lenin, Leon Trotsky, and Joseph Stalin. Under Stalin's leadership following the Death and state funeral of Vladimir Lenin, it became a tool for consolidating his personal dictatorship, particularly after the Great Purge eliminated rivals like Nikolai Bukharin and Grigory Zinoviev. The body was officially known as the Presidium of the Central Committee between 1952 and 1966 but retained its essential character and power. Its influence began to wane during the reforms of Mikhail Gorbachev in the late 1980s, culminating in its dissolution after the August Coup of 1991 and the subsequent Dissolution of the Soviet Union.

Functions and powers

The Politburo's primary function was to decide all critical matters of domestic and foreign policy for the Soviet Union. It set the agenda for the Central Committee and the Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, approved major economic plans like the Five-Year Plans of the Soviet Union, and directed national security strategy, including during events like the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Soviet–Afghan War. It exercised ultimate control over the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union, the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs (Soviet Union), ensuring the party's monopoly on power.

Membership and selection

Membership was highly exclusive, consisting of a small group of senior party officials, typically between 10 and 15 full members and several candidate members. Selection was a secretive process controlled by the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and the existing Politburo, with formal election by the Central Committee being a mere rubber stamp. Key figures from the Party apparatus, the KGB, the Soviet Armed Forces, and important regional party bosses from places like the Ukrainian SSR or the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic were commonly elevated to membership.

Organizational structure

The Politburo operated under the formal authority of the Central Committee and was supported by the Secretariat of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. Its work was prepared by numerous departments and commissions, and it relied heavily on reports from institutions like the KGB and the Gosplan. Meetings, held weekly in the Moscow Kremlin, were strictly confidential, with minutes circulated only to top officials. A smaller, informal inner circle, often including the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and trusted allies, frequently made preliminary decisions.

Role in Soviet governance

The Politburo was the apex of the Nomenklatura system, functioning as the true government of the Soviet Union, overshadowing all state bodies. It directed the implementation of ideology through organs like the Agitprop department and managed the Soviet economy through directives to the Gosplan. In foreign affairs, it formulated policy toward the United States, the Warsaw Pact, and movements like the Vietnam War. Its authority ensured the Communist Party of the Soviet Union maintained total control over society, the Soviet military, and the Eastern Bloc.

Notable members and leadership

Throughout its history, the Politburo was dominated by powerful General Secretaries, including Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin, Nikita Khrushchev, Leonid Brezhnev, and Mikhail Gorbachev. Other influential full members over the decades included Lavrentiy Beria, head of the NKVD; Yuri Andropov, former KGB chairman; Andrei Gromyko, long-time Minister of Foreign Affairs (Soviet Union); and Dmitry Ustinov, a Minister of Defence (Soviet Union). The body also included figures like Konstantin Chernenko and Mikhail Suslov, who wielded significant ideological influence.

Category:Communist Party of the Soviet Union Category:Government of the Soviet Union Category:Defunct political bodies