Bear-Pit politics

• party makes no decisions or initiatives at policies as Stalin Makes all the decision
• the role of the party is to oversee whatever Stalin wills - reconstruction, economic activity etc - select who gets into government roles
• government officials and party members didn't interact - Stalin was the in between and encouraged tensions so they wouldn’t work against him
• polit beaura - rarely met in one group after great patriotic war
• no party congress until 1952
• Polit beaura

  • Made up of same people before Great War
  • Molotov, Beria, Kaganovich, Zhdanov, Mikoyan, Khrushchev, malenkov
  • stalin makes decision - they make detail
• Stalin creates rivalries

  Malenkov and Zhdanov were fierce rivals as they wanted to be favoured

  • Frustrated by Zhdanov being the favourite
• Designed to make everyone feel incredibly uncomfortable

  • Practical jokes - Mikolyan wore suits - Beria put tomatoes in his pockets and squished them
  • Removed ceremonial sword for pickle
  • Beria stuck prick on Khrushchev’s back
• People went to drink with Stalin one night an d arrested the next
• members of Polit Beauru never felt secure in their positions