35 years ago, on March 10, 1985, Konstantin Ustinovich Chernenko passed away. He made a last and futile attempt to save the USSR. On March 11, Mikhail Gorbachev took over as General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee. The man who destroyed the Soviet civilization.
The last attempt to save the USSR
The course towards the elimination of Soviet civilization, begun under Khrushchev ("perestroika-1" and de-Stalinization), "frozen" under Brezhnev, continued Andropov. He tried to implement a hidden plan of convergence (rapprochement) of the Soviet and Western systems. The entry of the USSR into the Western world, and the Soviet elite - into the global elite.
After Andropov's death (February 9, 1984), Konstantin Ustinovich Chernenko was put at the head of the USSR. A nominee of Brezhnev, who insisted on a program of transformations that was fundamentally different from the ideas of the "restructuring" -destructors. Back in the late 70s, Chernenko suggested that Brezhnev listen to the opinions of A. N. Kosygin and A. N. Shelepin and begin to correct Khrushchev's "imbalances" not selectively, but systematically. Make a complete reassessment of the course of Stalin, himself and his associates. In fact, to return to the Stalinist course of the country's development. Actively fight against the "perversion of socialism" and the "fifth column". Make peace with China, which refused to reassess Stalin and his program. Brezhnev did not dare to do this, although under him they began to remember Stalin in a positive way.
Chernenko was a good and principled person, an excellent organizer. In 1956, Chernenko became an assistant to the Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee Brezhnev, from March 1965 he headed the general department of the CPSU Central Committee, in this position he worked for almost 15 years. A large number of documents and dossiers passed through it almost to the entire top, including the party, the Komsomol, trade unions, the leadership of the media and the national economy. Konstantin Ustinovich had a unique memory, he knew the political, economic and social situation of the country very well. The former security officer-border guard was a real statesman and an opponent of the policy of destroying the USSR.
Chernenko planned to restore a full-fledged alliance with China and Albania, which did not accept de-Stalinization in the USSR. He initiated a greater level of cooperation within the CMEA framework. Under the General Secretary, VM Molotov, LM Kaganovich and GM Malenkov, who had been expelled from the Communist Party under Khrushchev, were reinstated. Moreover, Chernenko himself handed the new party card to Molotov. He planned to completely restore the name of Stalin. In particular, to return the name of Stalingrad to Volgograd. On behalf of Chernenko, a comprehensive program of economic reforms was being prepared, with an emphasis on the plans of the last Stalinist five-year plan. In particular, Stalin's work "Economic Problems of Socialism in the USSR" (1952) was studied.
Thus, Chernenko made a sincere and final attempt to save the Soviet Union through a return to Stalin's legacy. However, Konstantin Ustinovich did not rule for long. He passed away on March 10, 1985. Being an elderly and sick man, he was no longer able to actively resist that part of the Soviet elite, which relied on the collapse of the Union and the pulling away of its parts along the national reservations. It is possible that they helped him to die quickly. In total, Chernenko's plans and activities were interrupted immediately after his death. They tried to forget him, and during Gorbachev's "perestroika" he was ranked among the "co-authors of stagnation" and "adepts of Stalinism."
"Best German" Gorbachev
The arrival of Gorbachev to the post of General Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU on March 11, 1985 was perceived positively in a country tired of a series of deaths of old and decrepit leaders. Hope for radical changes for the better was pinned on him. For the preservation and development of the Union, modernization and systemic reforms were required. Comparatively young (born in 1931), lively in words and generous in promises, Gorbachev initially liked almost everyone. Only experts noted that the long-spoken General Secretary for 8 years after arriving from Stavropol and staying in the capital at the highest party positions practically did not distinguish himself in anything (except for the impracticable "Food Program"). The cowardly verbiage was an ideal candidate for the destruction of the USSR from the inside.
Mikhail Gorbachev's activities are evaluated in different ways. For Russian liberals, Westernizers, and the collective West, he is a wonderful knight without fear or reproach, who sincerely tried to do something good in the country of “Soviet-Russian slaves”. In the West, he is his own man. He was well appreciated by the British "iron lady" Margaret Thatcher: "You can deal with this man!" Abroad, Gorbachev is an iconic figure who played a key role in the destruction of the Soviet "empire of evil", in the victorious and bloodless end of the "cold war" for the West (in fact, the third world war), in the total plunder of the Russian state. Therefore, Gorbachev did not regret the Nobel Peace Prize, was given the title of "Best German", presented in Philadelphia with the "Medal of Freedom" and a prize of 100 thousand dollars. He also has many other awards, prizes, signs of attention, etc.
The "catastrophe", the collapse of the red empire and the subsequent "democracy" led to the death and extinction of millions of people, the plundering of the national economy, the seizure of all the wealth of the state by a small group of bourgeois capitalists, new feudal lords and thieves, to the loss of almost all positions in the world. The common people hate Gorbachev.
An attempt to continue the course of Andropov
Gorbachev, together with Shevardnadze and Aliyev, was nominated by Andropov. They were all Western-oriented figures. Andropov saw that the Brezhnev USSR was heading for disaster, and put forward a program for the rapprochement of the Soviet and Western worlds, their merger ("Andropov's Plan" as part of a strategy to destroy Russian civilization; Andropov's plan for integrating Russia into Western civilization), concluding a deal between Moscow and the masters West. The USSR was included on equal terms in the club of master powers - the core of the capitalist system. The Soviet experience was used to modernize the world order. The Soviet elite was to become a full-fledged part of the global elite.
In fact, Andropov acted as the successor to the cause of Peter the Great, who opened a "window to Europe" and tried to make Russia a part of Europe. Integrate Russia into the West on favorable terms. Before that, the country was supposed to carry out a "purge", to restore order and discipline in the country and in production. The main thing was economic modernization. In the USSR, they wanted to highlight a "special economy" (everything that works well): the military-industrial complex, nuclear and space industries, electronics, academic towns. Form high-tech corporations that, with the support of special services, will be able to successfully operate in the world (on the world market). It was a kind of "state within a state".
In foreign policy, Andropov first wanted to scare the West, show himself to be a tough dictator, and then conclude a deal on favorable terms. To do this, Andropov had to go into the shadows, letting forward young politicians (relative to other Soviet leaders), sweet and gentle Westernizers: Gorbachev, Shevardnadze, etc. Therefore, he actively promoted them, although Gorbachev and the future leadership of the USSR did not have any special talents.
At the end of his reign, Andropov, apparently intuitively sensing that he was making a huge mistake, slowed down. But it was too late. Pandora's box was open. Andropov died, and the mechanisms of destruction launched under him, which, according to the secretary general's idea in the future, were to lead to the prosperity of Russia, continued to operate. Those people who were prepared for this acted like "zombies".
The West did not have time to frighten and drive into a dead end the "arms race". They did not create a full-fledged "state within a state", did not carry out economic modernization. The national elites in the republics were not brought under control, and the party and state apparatus were not purged. Rather, under Andropov and Gorbachev, the "purge" was carried out, but it was with a minus sign. They cleaned out the armed forces, intelligence, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the state apparatus, the party from those people who could resist and oppose the course of "convergence" with the West, which led to the death of Russian communism and the former USSR.
From the very beginning, Gorbachev began to act as if the first part of the plan had been successfully implemented. This led to the complete destabilization of the system, chaos and catastrophe. In foreign policy, he immediately rushed to the West with his arms. The West immediately appreciated the "fool" and began to play along with him, portray pacifism, the desire for world peace, etc. They quickly noticed that Gorbachev was greedy for flattery, beautiful words, and trinkets. Inside, Gorbachev tried to continue the work of Andropov, but casually, haphazardly, without will and energy, without appropriate experience and knowledge. At the same time, he wanted to carry out modernization, relying on mechanical engineering, "speed up" the country, raise the living standards of the people, and carry out democratization. Figuratively speaking, the secretary general chased several birds with one stone. It is clear that the USSR could not stand it. "Perestroika" turned into a "catastrophe".
