Brezhnev and political stagnation

Brezshnev and the Gerontocracy 1964-1982

Party 

• Stability of cadres policy meant nobody in party could be fired or promoted 
• Brezshnev re established all central ministries, centralising party 
• Ended Agricultural Industrial split in party 
• in 1977 Brezshnev constitution set out, established party superiority over state
• Anti Corruption campaign under Andropov, meant many senior officals in party attacked

State 

• Due to stability of cadres, many in state accepted bribes 
• Many goods sold on black market, for example Yury sokolov, ran a food store, sold many luxuey items on black market
• Soviet state became far more centralised, Khrushchev…