The Politburo was the supreme governing body of the Soviet Union from 1917 until 1991. It was composed of the top Communist Party leaders in the Soviet Union, and held ultimate power over party and state affairs. The decisions of the Politburo were binding on all party members and citizens of the Soviet Union.
The Politburo first convened in October 1917, just days after the Bolshevik Revolution that overthrew the Provisional Government. At that time, it consisted of only seven members: Vladimir Lenin, Leon Trotsky, Joseph Stalin, Nikolai Bukharin, Aleksei Rykov, Mikhail Tomsky and Grigory Zinoviev. Over the next few years, as Lenin’s health began to fail and Stalin rose to prominence, the membership of the Politburo expanded to include more than a dozen individuals.
During World War II, when most of Europe was under Nazi German occupation, the Politburo played a crucial role in leading the Soviet people through what became known as “the Great Patriotic War”. In this period, Stalin consolidated his power within the party and emerged as its undisputed leader. After Stalin’s death in 1953, Nikita Khrushchev took over as First Secretary (the title for head of party) and began a process known as de-Stalinization which aimed to purge remnants of Stalin’s personality cult from everyday life in USSR. This led to some political instability during Khrushchev’s tenure; at one point he was nearly ousted from power by a group of hardline Communists known as “The Anti-Party Group”.
Khrushchev was eventually removed from office by his fellowPolitburo members in 1964; Leonid Brezhnev then became First Secretary (head of party). Under Brezhnev’s leadership (which lasted until his death in 1982), global tensions increased due largely to ongoing conflicts such as The Vietnam War and Afghanistan War; at home however economic growth continued apace thanks to high oil prices brought about by OPEC’s 1973 oil embargo against Western nations. During this period there were no major changes in politico-ideological line or leadership personnel within USSR; stability reigned supreme.
In October 1986 Mikhail Gorbachev succeeded Konstantin Chernenko as General Secretary (headof party), becoming not only youngest person to ever hold that position but also first leader born after Russian Revolution occurred. Gorbachev introduced policies suchas glasnost (“openness”) and perestroika (“restructuring”), which aimedto liberalize Communist rule both inside USSR & Warsaw Pact countries while also reforming country’s planned economy along free market lines à la China’s Deng Xiaoping did several years earlier with capitalist backing . These reforms however unintentionally hastened endof Soviet Union; hardline Communists who didn’t want any change attempted unsuccessfully August 1991 coup d’état against Gorbachev while those living outside Russia saw chance take advantage& break away from central authority i.e., Lithuania declaring independence March 11th 1990 followed by Latvia & Estonia April 3rd same year Withdrawalfrom Warsaw Pact also signalled end for Comecon organization set up 1949 actas counterweight West’s Marshall Plan so countries could trade without worryabout getting embroiled Cold War geopolitics… On December 8th1991 Belarusian SSR president Stanislau Shushkevich former Polish Solidarity activist Lech Wałęsa met discreetly Moscow Dacha Viskuli discuss possibility dissolvingSoviet Union They agreed do so & further meeting held December 21st Belovezhskaya Pushcha Nature Reserve where representatives UkraineRussia & Belarus signed “Belavezha Accords” proclaiming establishment Commonwealth Independent States CIS would come into effect followingratification January 1st 1992