Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
Encyclopedia
The Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (Russian
: Центральный комитет Коммунистической партии Советского Союза - ЦК КПСС, Tsentralniy Komitet Kommunistitcheskoi Partii Sovetskogo Soyuza - TsK KPSS), abbreviated in Russian as ЦК, "Tse-ka", earlier was also called as the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks) (TsK VKP(b)) was the highest body of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
(CPSU). According to Party rules, the Central Committee directed all Party and government activities between each Party Congress
. Members of the committee were elected at the Party Congress every five years.
The Politburo was elected by and reporting to the Central Committee. Besides the Politburo the Central Committee also elected the Secretaries of the Central Committee which comprised the Secretariat of the CPSU Central Committee
. The Central Committee elected the General Secretary of the CPSU
as well. In 1919-1952 the Orgburo
was also elected in the same manner as the Politburo and the Secretariat by the plenums of the Central Committee.
For most of its existence, the power of the Central Committee was limited by its infrequent meetings and large membership, and true power lay with the Politburo. The Committee functioned as a rubber-stamp to legitimise and give an aura of consensus to Politburo decisions. The Committee would meet only twice a year, with sessions lasting one or two days. Special plenary sessions would be held before a major event, such as a new long-term plan or the selection of a new General Secretary. The elections were façades too, with the membership being selected in advance by the leaders.
From 1917 to 1934, the Central Committee acted more or less as a "parliament" where political discussions took place. But the occasional opposition of many of its members to Joseph Stalin
led to a purge
of the body between the 17th and 18th Party Congresses (1934–39). Until Stalin's death, its role was therefore almost non-existent.
After Stalin's death, there was a period of collective leadership
, which revitalised the Committee before it was returned to its compliant role. However, the Committee did play a critical role in the career of Nikita Khrushchev
. In 1957, the Central Committee overturned a decision by the Presidium
(the renamed Politburo) to remove Nikita Khrushchev as party leader. Khrushchev, with the assistance of Marshal
Georgy Zhukov
, rallied the support of the Central Committee against what he called the Anti-Party Group
. Seven years later, on October 14, 1964 it was a meeting of the Central Committee that deposed Khrushchev.
The Central Committee also made a landmark decision in March 1985 when it elected the reformist Mikhail Gorbachev
as the next General Secretary of the CPSU
with the margin of just one vote more than the hardliner Viktor Grishin
.
Following the failed coup of August 1991, the Central Committee was dissolved as was the Communist Party itself.
The members of the Secretariat supervised the work of the Central Committee departments. Department chiefs, who normally sat on the Central Committee, were subordinate to the secretaries.
A variety of departments made up the CPSU's central apparatus. Some departments were worthy of note. The Party Building and Cadre Work Department assigned party personnel in the nomenklatura
system. The State and Legal Department supervised the armed forces, KGB
, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the trade unions, and the Procuracy.
Before 1989 the apparatus contained many more departments responsible for the economy. These departments included one for the economy as a whole, one for machine building, and one for the chemical industry, among others. The party abolished these departments in an effort to remove itself from the day-to-day management of the economy in favor of government bodies and a greater role for the market, as a part of the perestroika
process.http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?frd/cstdy:@field(DOCID+su0195)
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
: Центральный комитет Коммунистической партии Советского Союза - ЦК КПСС, Tsentralniy Komitet Kommunistitcheskoi Partii Sovetskogo Soyuza - TsK KPSS), abbreviated in Russian as ЦК, "Tse-ka", earlier was also called as the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks) (TsK VKP(b)) was the highest body of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
Communist Party of the Soviet Union
The Communist Party of the Soviet Union was the only legal, ruling political party in the Soviet Union and one of the largest communist organizations in the world...
(CPSU). According to Party rules, the Central Committee directed all Party and government activities between each Party Congress
Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
The Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union was the gathering of the delegates of the Communist Party and its predecessors. According the party statute, it was the supreme ruling body of the entire Communist Party....
. Members of the committee were elected at the Party Congress every five years.
The Politburo was elected by and reporting to the Central Committee. Besides the Politburo the Central Committee also elected the Secretaries of the Central Committee which comprised the Secretariat of the CPSU Central Committee
Secretariat of the CPSU Central Committee
The Secretariat of the CPSU Central Committee was a key body within the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and was responsible for the central administration of the party as opposed to drafting government policy which was usually handled by the Politburo...
. The Central Committee elected the General Secretary of the CPSU
General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union was the title given to the leader of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. With some exceptions, the office was synonymous with leader of the Soviet Union...
as well. In 1919-1952 the Orgburo
Orgburo
The Orgburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union existed from 1919–52, until the 19th Congress, when the Orgburo was abolished and its functions were transferred to the enlarged Secretariat....
was also elected in the same manner as the Politburo and the Secretariat by the plenums of the Central Committee.
For most of its existence, the power of the Central Committee was limited by its infrequent meetings and large membership, and true power lay with the Politburo. The Committee functioned as a rubber-stamp to legitimise and give an aura of consensus to Politburo decisions. The Committee would meet only twice a year, with sessions lasting one or two days. Special plenary sessions would be held before a major event, such as a new long-term plan or the selection of a new General Secretary. The elections were façades too, with the membership being selected in advance by the leaders.
From 1917 to 1934, the Central Committee acted more or less as a "parliament" where political discussions took place. But the occasional opposition of many of its members to Joseph Stalin
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
led to a purge
Great Purge
The Great Purge was a series of campaigns of political repression and persecution in the Soviet Union orchestrated by Joseph Stalin from 1936 to 1938...
of the body between the 17th and 18th Party Congresses (1934–39). Until Stalin's death, its role was therefore almost non-existent.
After Stalin's death, there was a period of collective leadership
Collective leadership
Collective leadership or Collectivity of leadership , was considered an ideal form of governance in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics...
, which revitalised the Committee before it was returned to its compliant role. However, the Committee did play a critical role in the career of Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev led the Soviet Union during part of the Cold War. He served as First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964, and as Chairman of the Council of Ministers, or Premier, from 1958 to 1964...
. In 1957, the Central Committee overturned a decision by the Presidium
Presidium
The presidium or praesidium is the name for the heading organ of various legislative and organizational bodies.-Historical usage:...
(the renamed Politburo) to remove Nikita Khrushchev as party leader. Khrushchev, with the assistance of Marshal
Marshal of the Soviet Union
Marshal of the Soviet Union was the de facto highest military rank of the Soviet Union. ....
Georgy Zhukov
Georgy Zhukov
Marshal of the Soviet Union Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov , was a Russian career officer in the Red Army who, in the course of World War II, played a pivotal role in leading the Red Army through much of Eastern Europe to liberate the Soviet Union and other nations from the Axis Powers' occupation...
, rallied the support of the Central Committee against what he called the Anti-Party Group
Anti-Party Group
The Anti-Party Group was a group within the leadership of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union that unsuccessfully attempted to depose Nikita Khrushchev as First Secretary of the Party in May 1957. The group, named by that epithet by Khrushchev, was led by former Premiers Georgy Malenkov and...
. Seven years later, on October 14, 1964 it was a meeting of the Central Committee that deposed Khrushchev.
The Central Committee also made a landmark decision in March 1985 when it elected the reformist Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev is a former Soviet statesman, having served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991, and as the last head of state of the USSR, having served from 1988 until its dissolution in 1991...
as the next General Secretary of the CPSU
General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union was the title given to the leader of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. With some exceptions, the office was synonymous with leader of the Soviet Union...
with the margin of just one vote more than the hardliner Viktor Grishin
Viktor Grishin
Viktor Vasilyevich Grishin was a Soviet politician. He was a Candidate and Full Member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.Grishin was born in Serpukhov, Moscow Oblast. He served in the Red Army from 1938 until 1940...
.
Following the failed coup of August 1991, the Central Committee was dissolved as was the Communist Party itself.
Apparatus of the Central Committee
The Secretariat headed the CPSU's central apparatus and was solely responsible for the development and implementation of party policies. The Secretariat also carried political weight because many of its members sat on the Politburo.The members of the Secretariat supervised the work of the Central Committee departments. Department chiefs, who normally sat on the Central Committee, were subordinate to the secretaries.
A variety of departments made up the CPSU's central apparatus. Some departments were worthy of note. The Party Building and Cadre Work Department assigned party personnel in the nomenklatura
Nomenklatura
The nomenklatura were a category of people within the Soviet Union and other Eastern Bloc countries who held various key administrative positions in all spheres of those countries' activity: government, industry, agriculture, education, etc., whose positions were granted only with approval by the...
system. The State and Legal Department supervised the armed forces, KGB
KGB
The KGB was the commonly used acronym for the . It was the national security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 until 1991, and was the premier internal security, intelligence, and secret police organization during that time.The State Security Agency of the Republic of Belarus currently uses the...
, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the trade unions, and the Procuracy.
Before 1989 the apparatus contained many more departments responsible for the economy. These departments included one for the economy as a whole, one for machine building, and one for the chemical industry, among others. The party abolished these departments in an effort to remove itself from the day-to-day management of the economy in favor of government bodies and a greater role for the market, as a part of the perestroika
Perestroika
Perestroika was a political movement within the Communist Party of the Soviet Union during 1980s, widely associated with the Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev...
process.http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?frd/cstdy:@field(DOCID+su0195)
See also
- BednotaBednotaBednota was a daily newspaper for peasants, issued by Central Committee of the Communist Party in Moscow, Russia, from March 1918 till January 1931. Its predecessors were newspapers "Derevenskaya Bednota" , "Soldatskaya Pravda" , "Derevenskaya Pravda"...
- daily newspaper for peasants, from March 1918 till January 1931 - Organization of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
- Politburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet UnionPolitburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet UnionThe Politburo , known as the Presidium from 1952 to 1966, functioned as the central policymaking and governing body of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.-Duties and responsibilities:The...