russian february march december soviet russian statesman cold war born city russian working class family labour army russian civil war worked siberia industrial manager returned early 1930s worked way soviet hierarchy great patriotic war world war member tasked moving soviet industry territories soon overrun german_army served minister finance year minister light industry later minister light food industry removed year death intentionally weakening position soviet hierarchy power struggle triggered death new leader march appointed position chairman post hold little year deputy chairman replaced premier secretary respectively chairman member newly established collective leadership major power players soviet hierarchy able initiate failed economic reform usually referred simply reform reform open stance solving prague spring liberal members leadership conservative members leadership saw policies radical able premier disliked 1970s consolidated power stop radical reform minded attempts retired office bad health dying months later december early life career born russian working class family consisting father mother siblings family lived baptised month birth march labour army russian civil war attended found work system consumer siberia asked worked operative sector economy replied quoting slogan operation path socialism stayed years applied membership communist_party soviet_union returned study graduated finishing studies employed textile mill director years later elected chairman city soviets following year appointed earned seat deputy chairman appointed chairman worked great patriotic war world war deputy chairman task evacuate industry territories soon overrun germans broke organising construction supply route pipeline candidate member member end rule lost seat briefly served minister finance minister light industry era administrative skills led wing shared information money families possessed spent paid staff member earned modest salary soviet standards enjoyed unlimited access consumer goods sent home houses proper order assignments unpopular certain members soviet leadership told son law officer accusations leveled worker chairman deputy premier possession firearms threw weapons lake searched houses listening devices found house installed spy lived according memoirs left home reminding wife return work living years constant fear family reached conclusion harm formed aftermath war promoted soviet hierarchy high standing officials theory plotted initiated known affair consisted fabricated criminal charges executed life connected marriage hanging thread survived trials unknown jokes drawn lucky lottery ticket blamed innocent deaths accused having plot succeed death era following death march demoted staunch ally career soon turned quickly moved party ladder official candidate member promoted deputy premier deputy premier travelled abroad trade missions countries north_korea india argentina italy instance later aftermath cuban missile crisis soviet spokesman improved relations soviet_union united_states regained old seat 22nd party congress leadership dismissed leader october took old post premier initially collective leadership general secretary later chairman new conservative outlook found liberal members belonged moderate faction retained leadership party wing october ceremony honour soviet called strengthening party apparatus speech beginning large campaign directed newspapers criticised work indirectly chairman planning economy unrealistic fashion highly aggressive rhetoric previously condemn able contrasting claimed interested improving conditions soviet agriculture improving quality light industrial goods support producing consumer goods criticised supporters notably return quasi world policies 23rd party position weakened supporters able increase expenditure defence agriculture majority count votes count vote actually majority unfortunately case constantly policy early tenure attempt create stability failing fronts discontent soviet leadership grown extent started doubt current soviet policies examples include handling soviet invasion czechoslovakia initially resisted decline agriculture production sino soviet border conflict advocated restraint vietnam war soviet american talks limitation strategic missiles summit conferences ussr held warsaw pact summit conference failed gain support soviet policies differences resolved postponed 24th party congress ninth year plan delay resolving issues led rumours circulating soviet society lose posts march apparent leader country spokesman year plan position collective leadership strengthened foreign policy early tenure challenged right general secretary represent country abroad function believed fall hands head government common non communist countries actually implemented short period led believe leader soviet_union chief world 1960s hardly seen outside second world consolidated position dislike ministerial affairs day war middle_east effect increasing soviet american cooperation improve relations invited summit president united_states following speech united_nations summit known johnson failed reach agreement limiting anti missile systems summit friendly open atmosphere referred spirit relations countries improved moscow treaty signed august represented west_germany signed treaty friendship cooperation government iraq building strong soviet ties iraqi arab socialist party previous close relations iraqi leader protected economic reforms position leader intervention soviet leadership polish leader removed posts succeeded tried economy borrowing money world soviet leadership approved countries respective economic experiments trying reduce large programme form cheap oil gas exports discussions soviet leadership possible soviet invasion reminded leaders consequences soviet suppression hungarian revolution stance aggressive later understood reforms czechoslovakia turned soviet economic reform acted india pakistan got nations sign declaration chief spokesman issue arms control retrospect workers felt carried work lacked enthusiasm developed real taste international politics sino soviet split great deal refused accept briefly visited beijing increased tension ussr china said close circle communists communists hard believe able reach agreement met face face view china changed according prime minister united_kingdom viewed china organised military dictatorship intended goal vietnam asia official visit delegation criticised leaders like behaviour promised send economic military aid rejected proposal possible soviet intervention intervention afghanistan strain ussr foreign relations world according notably west_germany closed meeting strongly opposed kind military intervention unanimously supported soviet intervention economic policy year plans eighth year plan considered successful periods soviet economy successful comes consumer production reform 23rd party congress ninth year plan postponed power struggle soviet leadership 23rd party promised ninth year plan increase supply food clothing household percent plan envisaged massive increase soviet standard living proclaiming growth percent population cash income speech congress tenth year plan referred plan quality rejected bid producing consumer goods tenth year plan total volume consumer goods industrial production stood percent son law notes furious decision proclaimed increased defence expenditure soviet_union complete ruin plan ambitious predecessors targets national industrial growth higher rest world achieved soviet agriculture receive share investment percent share larger proportional contribution soviet economy accounted percent soviet reform like tried reform command economy socialist framework initiated economic reform widely referred reform sought soviet industry efficient including market measures common world profit making instance tried increase quantity production increase incentives managers workers freeing managers state bureaucracy reform proposed evidently liked took preliminary steps implement allowed reform proceed soviet economy entering period low growth testing phase reform applied enterprises light industry reform influenced works soviet economist ability soviet administrative machine develop economy led controversial beliefs according critics changes original vision caused reform fail long time conscious world superiority believed semi public companies keys catching reform sought gradual change state administered economy economy state guiding enterprises reform implemented showed inconsistencies early results salary soviet citizens increased abruptly times plan real wages amounted compared soviet economic reform year plan period characterised low growth second period stronger growth rate second period demonstrated success reform average annual growth retail turnover billion times higher period times higher period consumption goods daily demand increased consumption home greatly increased increased low units consumption declined reversal reform car production increased continue late 1980s soviet leadership pressure sought provide attractive goods soviet consumers removal signalled end housing revolution housing construction declined average million square metres following sudden decrease housing construction increased sharply dropped steadily grew average annual growth rate million square metres came largely expense businesses housing shortage fully resolved remains problem present day russia reform overcame negative trend renewed growth housing construction cancellation aftermath hostility reform growing poor results stance led popular backlash lost privileges enjoyed reform able remove office chairman despite weakened position aftermath failed reform spent rest life improving economic administration modification targets implemented programmes improve food security ensure future intensification production proof claim reform contributed high growth seen cancellation growth economy began 1970s reforms initiated economic reform intentions weakening central giving powers regional authorities republican local levels reform failure meet goal led cancellation reform succeeded creating associations organisation representing enterprises significant reform undertaken pre leadership initiated fifth government joint decision improving planning reinforcing effects economic mechanism raising effectiveness production improving quality work commonly known reform reform contrast reform intended increase central government economic involvement enhancing duties responsibilities resignation conservative approach economics little reform actually implemented later life resignation death early mid-1970s established strong power base effectively leader according historian author soviet_union eve began lose power 24th party congress time publicised formula led weakening position moved strengthen party hold government apparatus weakening position author legacy story notes economic report 25th party congress pointed clearly end struggle pushed aside published memoirs stated charge major economic decisions matters worse blocked future talks economic reform party government apparatus information reform suppressed consolidated position government apparatus strengthening position chairman literally head state giving office functions premier soviet constitution strengthened control giving post head state executive powers fact soviet constitution subordinate supreme soviet replaced head state role day day management government activities drastically new found post rumours started circulating circles streets retire bad health consolidation power weakened influence prestige 1970s position given blow frequently hospitalised occasions deputy chairman acted behalf absence suffered heart attack incident said changed having vibrant personality tired fed according people close lost continue work twice filed letter resignation turned occasions sick leave appointed post deputy chairman conservative post deputy chairman able reduce standby role june soviet economic development plan outlined powers premier diminished point forced discuss decisions hospitalised october stay wrote brief letter resignation following day deprived government protection communication luxury goods earned political life died december colleagues aides security guards visited end life feared complete failure eleventh year plan claiming sitting leadership reluctant reform soviet economy funeral postponed days died eve birthday buried red square moscow praised individual good soviet state state funeral conducted honoured peers laid containing ashes wall personality compared soviet officials stood pragmatic relatively independent leader description given anonymous high ranking official described lonely somewhat tragic figure understood faults shortcomings situation general middle_east policy particular highly restrained man preferred cautious anonymous old worker said opinion defended alert man performed brilliantly negotiations able cope quickly material totally new seen people calibre canadian prime minister said like rough edges man forerunner noted willing discuss issues long soviet position tackled head united_states secretary state said devoted nearly work viewed western diplomats glacial exterior orthodox rigid soviet believed intelligent toughest man legacy historical assessments prove competent administrator soviet standard living rising considerably moderately policy moderate reform soviet reform movement content maintain structure soviet planned economy attempted ailing economic system management following death reform movement split path discipline control aspects public life soviet_union eve author describes determined intelligent outstanding administrator claims distinguished members soviet leadership extraordinary capacity work historians authors describes phenomenal administrator strengths writes exceptional capability administrator according proved competent politician historians claim unable remove removal mean loss capable administrator book unknown called outstanding new author believes soviet economic reform modest claimed product soviet ministerial system evolved radical economic reformer brown believe able administrator russian historian concluded survived manage survive viewed sympathy soviet people presently viewed important figure russian soviet history popularity soviet people developed strong jealousy according executive officer recalled refused drinking annoyed chairman speech soviet_union referred sad experiences reform claimed went bad worse following reform cancellation honours lifetime received seven orders awards soviet state awarded hero socialist labour ussr 60th birthday occasion awarded order february commemorate birthday supreme soviet awarded second hammer gold medal total awarded orders soviet state order october revolution order state visit peru 1970s awarded president named honour bust honour placed present day russian government renamed street
Alexei Kosygin