Yuri Andropov

Yuri Andropov Юрий Андропов
Born	15 June 1914 Nagutskaya, Stavropol Governorate, Russian Empire
Died	9 February 1984 Moscow, RSFSR, Soviet Union
Cause of death	Kidney failure
Political orientation	Marxism–Leninism

Yuri Vladimirovich Andropov (15 June 1914 – 9 February 1984) was a Soviet politician who served as Chairman of the KGB from 1967 to 1982 and General Secretary of the CPSU from 1982 until his death in February 1984.

Early life

Andropov was born in Stavropol in 1914. He left school at age 16 and worked as a telegraph operator and a boatman on the Volga. He joined the Komsomol in 1936 and later became Second Secretary of the Komsomol of the Karelo-Finnish SSR under First Secretary Otto Kuusinen.

Political career

During the Great Patriotic War, Andropov joined the Karelian partisan movement and fought against fascist German invaders. He became the Second Secretary of the Communist Party of Karelia after the war and moved to Moscow to work for the Central Committee in 1951. He became the Soviet ambassador to Hungary in 1954 and helped put down the 1956 counterrevolution attempt.

In 1967, Andropov became Chairman of the KGB, a post he held for 15 years. He dismissed corrupt party officials in Azerbaijan and even arrested General Secretary Brezhnev's daughter and son-in-law for black market activities.

General Secretary

Andropov became General Secretary in November 1982 after Brezhnev's death. In his first speech to the Central Committee, he called for modernization of production through computer technology. He launched a campaign to increase efficiency by targeting poor work quality, absenteeism, alcoholism, and irresponsibility. He abolished Brezhnev's policy of cadre stability and forced old, incompetent party members out of leadership positions. In foreign negotiations, he prevented the British and French from expanding their nuclear arsenals. Andropov developed serious kidney problems three months into his term and died a year later.