Yuri Andropov
Leader of the Soviet Union from 1982 to 1984 / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Yuri Vladimirovich Andropov[lower-alpha 1][lower-alpha 2] (15 June [O.S. 2 June] 1914 – 9 February 1984)[2] was a Soviet politician who was the sixth leader of the Soviet Union and the fourth General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, taking office in 1982 and serving until his death in 1984.
Yuri Andropov | |
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Юрий Андропов | |
General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union | |
In office 12 November 1982 – 9 February 1984 | |
Preceded by | Leonid Brezhnev |
Succeeded by | Konstantin Chernenko |
Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union | |
In office 16 June 1983 – 9 February 1984 | |
Deputy | Vasily Kuznetsov |
Preceded by | Vasily Kuznetsov (acting) |
Succeeded by | Vasily Kuznetsov (acting) |
Second Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union | |
In office 24 May 1982 – 10 November 1982 | |
Preceded by | Konstantin Chernenko (acting) |
Succeeded by | Konstantin Chernenko |
4th Chairman of the Committee for State Security (KGB) | |
In office 18 May 1967 – 26 May 1982 | |
Premier | |
Preceded by | Vladimir Semichastny |
Succeeded by | Vitaly Fedorchuk |
Personal details | |
Born | (1914-06-15)15 June 1914 Stanitsa Nagutskaya, Stavropol Governorate, Russian Empire |
Died | 9 February 1984(1984-02-09) (aged 69) Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union |
Cause of death | Kidney failure |
Resting place | Kremlin Wall Necropolis, Moscow |
Political party | CPSU (1939–1984) |
Spouses |
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Children | 4
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Residence | Kutuzovsky Prospekt |
Signature | |
Military service | |
Allegiance | Soviet Union |
Branch/service | Soviet Armed Forces Soviet Partisans |
Years of service | 1939–1984 |
Rank | General of the Army |
Battles/wars | World War II Hungarian Revolution Soviet–Afghan War |
Central institution membership Other political offices held
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Earlier in his career, Andropov served as the Soviet ambassador to Hungary from 1954 to 1957, during which time he was involved in the suppression of the 1956 Hungarian Uprising. He was named chairman of the KGB on 10 May 1967. After Brezhnev suffered a stroke in 1975 that impaired his ability to govern, Andropov increasingly dictated Soviet policymaking alongside Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko, Defense Minister Andrei Grechko and Grechko's successor, Marshal Dmitry Ustinov.
Upon Brezhnev's death on 10 November 1982, Andropov succeeded him as General Secretary and, by extension, as the leader of the Soviet Union. During his short tenure, Andropov sought to eliminate corruption and inefficiency in the country by criminalizing truancy in the workplace and investigating longtime officials for violations of party discipline. The Cold War intensified, and he was at a loss for how to handle the growing crisis in the Soviet economy. His major long-term impact was bringing to the fore a new generation of young reformers as energetic as himself, including Yegor Ligachyov, Nikolai Ryzhkov, and, most importantly, Mikhail Gorbachev.[3] Upon suffering kidney failure in February 1983, Andropov's health began to deteriorate rapidly. He died on 9 February 1984, having led the country for about 15 months.