Leonid Brezhnev dead in 1968 Who is his successor ?

Michel Van

Michel Van

CaliGuy said:
If so, what about Alexei Kosygin?
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Good question, he is prime candidate in allot TL like "2001: A Space-Time Odyssey" and Others
but has He in 1968 the power and mean to succeed or will Politburo stronger fraction put there men on top ?
 

Roches

How about Anastas Mikoyan (OTL 1895-1978) , who was seventy-three years old in 1968, and so was definitely old enough for the post-Brezhnev gerontocracy we saw OTL? Or Nikolai Podgorny (1903-1983), Mikoyan's successor as Chairman of the Supreme Soviet? He was a little younger at 65.

Some of you may be aware of the bald-hairy rule of Russian politics: bald leaders are succeeded by ones with a full head of hair. Brezhnev was considered "hairy", as he certainly was compared to Nikita Khrushchev. Therefore, Podgorny, a bald man, would be preferred over Mikoyan. Any other proposed leaders should be bald as well.
 

CaliGuy

Banned
Roches said:
How about Anastas Mikoyan (OTL 1895-1978) , who was seventy-three years old in 1968, and so was definitely old enough for the post-Brezhnev gerontocracy we saw OTL? Or Nikolai Podgorny (1903-1983), Mikoyan's successor as Chairman of the Supreme Soviet? He was a little younger at 65.
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Would the post-Stalin Soviet Politburo be willing to have a Caucasian as leader of the Soviet Union, though?
 

Lalli

CaliGuy said:
Would the post-Stalin Soviet Politburo be willing to have a Caucasian as leader of the Soviet Union, though?
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Very doubtful. Soviets tried always get Russian or at least Eastern Slavic leader. Stalin got power only because he was already part of inner-circle.
 

Roches

I just looked up a few names in high places and suggested them. Actually reading about Mikoyan, who was forced to retire in 1965, made it clear he's probably not a contender. Although it's interesting that he was Armenian; that implies the Mikoyan of Mikoyan-Gurevich was too. Furthermore, Mikoyan had a receding hairline, but was by no means bald. :)
 

RousseauX

Donor
Roches said:
How about Anastas Mikoyan (OTL 1895-1978) , who was seventy-three years old in 1968, and so was definitely old enough for the post-Brezhnev gerontocracy we saw OTL? Or Nikolai Podgorny (1903-1983), Mikoyan's successor as Chairman of the Supreme Soviet? He was a little younger at 65.

Some of you may be aware of the bald-hairy rule of Russian politics: bald leaders are succeeded by ones with a full head of hair. Brezhnev was considered "hairy", as he certainly was compared to Nikita Khrushchev. Therefore, Podgorny, a bald man, would be preferred over Mikoyan. Any other proposed leaders should be bald as well.
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Mikoyan was firmly out of power post 1964, he had being a key Khrushchev ally who voted against his oust but basically played politics well enough to retire comfortably, there's no way the Brezhnev conservatives choose him
 

RousseauX

Donor
Roches said:
I just looked up a few names in high places and suggested them. Actually reading about Mikoyan, who was forced to retire in 1965, made it clear he's probably not a contender. Although it's interesting that he was Armenian; that implies the Mikoyan of Mikoyan-Gurevich was too. Furthermore, Mikoyan had a receding hairline, but was by no means bald. :)
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The Mikoyan of Mig fame was his younger brother
 

RousseauX

Donor
Also interestingly enough, none of the big players in Soviet politics circa 1980 or so was a big player in 1965
 

Napoleon IV

The two most powerful men after Brezhnev were Nikolai Podgorny and Alexei Kosygin. However it's important to remember that the Soviet leadership during the Brezhnev period valued collective leadership above all else. Giving the General Secretary title to either Podgorny or Kosygin would mean that they were too powerful and end collective leadership. That could be solved by forcing them to give up their position in exchange for becoming General Secretary, but Podgorny was largely satisfied with his position (I believe the same is true of Kosygin, but I could be wrong).

This means the most plausible option is for someone else to become General Secretary and form a troika with Podgorny and Kosygin. The obvious choice is Andrei Kirilenko, who was Brezhnev's main lieutenant.
 
Michel Van

Michel Van

interesting info
This end in a Power struggle between Liberals and Conservative
Do majority of Conservative it likely they win (see list below)

Some details
Anastas Mikoyan, he was key allies of Khrushchev and after 1964 Putsch, he was forced into retirement in 1965.
Andrei Kirilenko rolle was to ensure Brezhnev's power base. Without Brezhnev, he will look for a new master he can support.

in articles on Internet, i find the term "counterweights" in the Central Committee.
in 1977 Leonid Brezhnev appointing Konstantin Chernenko to "counterweights"
but i not found any information about the "counterweights" of the 23rd Politburo.

Info
23rd Politburo (1966–1971)
Full members
1. Leonid Brezhnev (conservative)
2. Alexei Kosygin (liberal)
3. Nikolai Podgorny (liberal)
4. Mikhail Suslov (hardliner conservative)
5. Gennady Voronov (reformist)
6. Andrei Kirilenko (conservative)
7. Alexander Shelepin (hardliner)
8. Kirill Mazurov (hardliner)
9. Dmitry Polyansky (conservative ?)
10. Petro Shelest (hardliner)
11. Arvīds Pelše (?)

Candidate members
12. Pyotr Demichev (?)
13. Viktor Grishin (conservative)
14. Vasil Mzhavanadze (corrupt conservative)
15. Sharof Rashidov (corrupt conservative)
16. Dmitriy Ustinov (hardliner conservative)
17. Volodymyr Shcherbytsky (conservative)
18. Dinmukhamed Konayev (conservative)
19. Pyotr Masherov (?)
20. Yuri Andropov (hardliner reformist)
 
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