General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
| General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union | |
|---|---|
| Генеральный секретарь ЦК КПСС | |
Emblem of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union | |
| Central Committee of the Communist Party | |
| Style | Comrade General Secretary (informal) |
| Type | Party leader |
| Status | Country leader |
| Member of | and Secretariat |
| Residence | Kremlin Senate[1] |
| Seat | Kremlin, Moscow |
| Appointer | Central Committee |
| Term length | Life tenure |
| Formation | 3 April 1922 |
| First holder | Joseph Stalin |
| Final holder | Vladimir Ivashko (acting) |
| Abolished | 29 August 1991 |
| Superseded by | Chairman of the Union of Communist Parties |
| Deputy | Second Secretary |
| Salary | 10,000 Rbls annually |
The General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union[a] was the leader of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU). From 1924 until the country's dissolution in 1991, the officeholder was the recognized leader of the Soviet Union.[2][3] Prior to Joseph Stalin's accession, the position was not viewed as an important role in Vladimir Lenin's government[4][5] and previous occupants had been responsible for technical rather than political decisions.[6]
Officially, the General Secretary solely controlled the Communist Party directly. However, since the party had a monopoly on political power, the General Secretary de facto had executive control of the Soviet government. Because of the office's ability to direct both the foreign and domestic policies of the state and preeminence over the Soviet Communist Party, it was the de facto highest office of the Soviet Union.
- ^ "ГЛАВНЫЙ КОРПУС КРЕМЛЯ". The VVM Library. Archived from the original on 28 January 2018. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
- ^ Armstrong 1986, p. 93.
- ^ "Soviet Union – General Secretary: Power and Authority". www.country-data.com. Archived from the original on 28 November 2022. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
- ^ McCauley, Martin (11 September 2002). Who's Who in Russia since 1900. Routledge. p. 200. ISBN 978-1-134-77214-8.
- ^ McDermott, Kevin (23 January 2006). Stalin: Revolutionary in an Era of War. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 43. ISBN 978-0-230-20478-2.
- ^ Zemtsov 2001, p. 132.
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