General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
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General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union Генеральный секретарь ЦК КПСС | |
|---|---|
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| Founded | 1919 |
| Dissolved | 1991 |
| Succeeded by | General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation |
General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (Russian: Генеральный секретарь ЦК КПСС) was the highest leadership position within the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU). Under the principles of democratic centralism, the General Secretary served as the chief executive of the Party apparatus, responsible for implementing the collective decisions of the Party Congress and the Central Committee. The office was established in 1922 and, consistent with the Marxist-Leninist conception of the vanguard party, became the central coordinating figure in the construction of socialism in the USSR.[1]
History[edit | edit source]
Before the establishment of the General Secretaryship, the Party's administrative work was carried out by secretarial positions with technical responsibilities. Following the October Revolution of 1917, the need arose for a dedicated administrative apparatus to coordinate the growing Party organization. [2]
The precursor roles included:
- Technical Secretary (1917-1918): Held by Elena Stasova, responsible for correspondence, financial records, and personnel appointments. Stasova and her staff of four women maintained communication with provincial party cells, distributed Party funds, and formulated party structure policy.
- Chairman of the Secretariat (1918-1919): Held by Yakov Sverdlov until his death, focusing on technical rather than political matters. Under Sverdlov's leadership, the Secretariat began to take on greater organizational responsibilities.
- Responsible Secretary (1919-1922): Held by Nikolay Krestinsky and then Vyacheslav Molotov, tasked with administrative work and maintaining Party discipline. At the 10th Party Congress in March 1921, it was decided that the Responsible Secretary should have a presence at Politburo plenums, making Molotov a candidate member of the Politburo.
The Collective Leadership Period (1953-1964)[edit | edit source]
Following Stalin's death, the Party reorganized its leadership. A period of collective leadership was established, initially among Georgy Malenkov, Lavrentiy Beria, and Vyacheslav Molotov. Malenkov became Chairman of the Council of Ministers and the most prominent member of the Secretariat, but he was forced to resign from the latter on 14 March 1953, leaving the Party apparatus under the direction of the revisionist, Nikita Khrushchev.[1]
On 14 September 1953, Khrushchev was elected to the newly titled office of First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. The name change reflected the Party's commitment to collective leadership while maintaining the need for a chief administrator of Party affairs.
Khrushchev's tenure was marked by his denunciation of Stalin's "cult of personality" at the 20th Party Congress in 1956—a departure from proper Marxist-Leninist norms that would later be criticized for undermining the authority of the Party. Nevertheless, Khrushchev successfully defeated the "Anti-Party Group" in 1957, demonstrating that the First Secretary remained a position of significant authority within the collective leadership framework.[1]
In October 1964, the Central Committee, exercising its proper authority, removed Khrushchev from office due to subjective errors in his leadership style and policy directions.
Constitutional and Party Framework[edit | edit source]
The General Secretary operated within the constitutional and organizational framework of the CPSU, which was based on the principle of democratic centralism. This principle, developed by Lenin, combined:
- Democracy: All leading bodies were elected from lower to higher levels; periodic reports were made to party organizations; strict party discipline and subordination of the minority to the majority; and decisions of higher bodies were absolutely binding on lower bodies.
- Centralism: The existence of a unified party center directing all party activities; the subordination of lower bodies to higher ones; and the prohibition of factions to ensure unity of action.
The 1977 Constitution of the USSR, Article 6, formally recognized the CPSU as "the leading and guiding force of Soviet society and the nucleus of its political system, of all state and public organizations" . This constitutional provision reflected the Marxist-Leninist understanding that the Party, as the vanguard of the working class, was best positioned to guide the construction of communism.
Appointment and Election Process[edit | edit source]
The process for selecting the General Secretary evolved over time, reflecting the maturation of the Soviet political system.
Formal Procedure[edit | edit source]
Officially, the General Secretary was elected by the Central Committee of the Communist Party at a plenary session following each Party Congress. The formal steps included:
- Party Congress: Every five years, delegates from party organizations across the Soviet Union gathered for the Party Congress. The Congress set the general direction of Party policy and elected the Central Committee.
- Central Committee Plenum: Following the Congress, the newly elected Central Committee would convene to elect the leading bodies, including the Politburo, the Secretariat, and the General Secretary.
- Secret Ballot: While early procedures sometimes involved open voting, the principle of secret ballot was increasingly emphasized, particularly after the Stalin era.
Powers and Responsibilities[edit | edit source]
The General Secretary's role encompassed a wide range of responsibilities essential to the functioning of the Party and the state.
Control Over the Party Apparatus[edit | edit source]
The General Secretary's most fundamental responsibility was directing the work of the Party apparatus. This included:
- Personnel Management: The General Secretary, through the Secretariat and the nomenklatura system, oversaw the appointment of key Party and state officials at all levels. This ensured that leading positions were filled by qualified, dedicated communists committed to building socialism.
- Supervision of the Secretariat: The General Secretary chaired meetings of the Secretariat, which managed the day-to-day operations of the Party, including implementation of Central Committee decisions, oversight of regional party organizations, and coordination of Party work across all sectors.
- Party Discipline: The General Secretary worked with party control organs to maintain discipline and ensure that all party organizations and members adhered to the Party's program and decisions.