Brezhnev's priorities: 1. reassure unpredicatbility and instability over.
2. make political position secure
Promoted his supporters - e.g. Chernenko - 'Dnieper Mafia'.
powerful by 1966
1970 - Kosygin had retired from public view - 1976 - Brezhnev universally acclaimed leader
Corruption
elected who he liked to control KGB
Andropov in KGB and Politburo member
End of reign
stability
Stability of cadres
assured the Nomenklatura system.
average age of politicians rose from 58 in 1960 to 68 in 1978
"No dynamism or longing for radical change" - laver
Poltiburo meetings: 1960 - 3-6 hours but by 1980 30-40 mins
Economics
Agriculture
Positives:
Peasants given internal passports
Stability - increased procurement prices
Annotations:
Westwood - "better to have a stable though imperfect chain of command than a system constantly in the throws of upheaval."
Thompson - end to hurricane 'campaignist' approach.
increased investment - tripled - 1976-80 - 26.2%
Annotations:
But US only invested 4% but had food to feed country.
Peasants satisfied 70% of their needs
wages only 10% lower than urban
Negatives:
Growth poor - prod growth -4%
Shortage of goods - riots in Sverdiovsk
1977 - government subsidies of 19,000 million roubles
criticism of the link/brigade system - RAPO's
Had to import 40 million tonnes annually
30% ag output from private plots - only 4% cultivated area
Industry
Positives
More consumer goods
Trade unions formed to support human rights
Politburo listened to intellectuals and experts more
Annotations:
Thompson "Brez era - witnessed widening of channels through which individuals, groups and institutions could influence the policy process"
material wellbeing
secure and more freedom at work
Annotations:
labour turnover 25-30%
Negatives
Westwood - decline in GNP: 5% in early 1960s to 2% in late 80s
Less than 1% growth in iron
construction weak and transport inadequacies
Annotations:
Policies of Gospan - quick fix character
economy less suited to centralised planning - more complex
Westwood - "economy using yesterday's methods, investments and products."
Shturm - storming common - poor quality goods
short-termism - deliberately
set low targets
Defence burden - 15-17% (some say 25-30%)
Superficial growth - oil and gold price increase fivefold
Standard of Living/ social
Improvements
planned growth of consumer goods - average 70% - meat increase 40.5%
Proportion of households with TV - 1965: 24% - 1984: 96%
problems
increased wages but not much higher standards
Shortages and queues - people saved up
but the privileged could easily buy food - dissatisfaction