THE KREMLIN SCENE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: Library of Congress
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): LOC-HAK-178-5-21-6
• Release Decision: RIPLIM
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: January 11, 2017
• Document Release Date: May 13, 2010
• Sequence Number: 21
• Publication Date: May 5, 1970
• Content Type: MEMO

No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/05/13: LOC-HAK-178-5-21-6
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CONFIDENTIAL
ON-FILE NSC RELEASE INSTRUCTIONS APPLY
State Dept. review
completed.
25X1
MORI/CDF per
C03317343
MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT
FROM= Henry A. Kissingeroal
SUBJECT: The Krerxnlin Scb e
9552
INFORMATION
MAY 5 10
For the last several weeks there has been unusual interest and speculation
about the situation within the top Soviet leadership. You are probably
aware of many of the rumors and the more sensational reports.
favor.
The consensus inside the government, and concurred in by some leading
scholars, seems to be that there has, in fact, been trouble in the leader-
ship, but that the resolution, if only temporary, has been in Brezhnev's
His image is sharper--as the result of intensive nation-wide television
exposure; his confidence is apparently reflected in his wide-ranging speeches
covering all important internal and external topics. And several second
level personnel changes,F -1
What is not clear, however, is the source of the trouble. One view ia'that
it has been Brezhnev'a doing: the result of the pointed attacks he launched
last December against the government's management of the economy.
This theory is documented mainly from material drawn from open sources.
on the defensive until fortuitous i nesses the politburo, pus a poaa e
opportunistic switch by Shelepin, shifted the balance in Brezhnev's favor
and actually enabled him to score some temporary gains. Others feel
Shelepin was beaten in a straightforward power struggle.
Whatever the dispute over scenarios, there is hard evidence of three
politburo meetings between Z4-Z7 March. About this time the violent
press campaign on the economic failures abated, and Brezhnev emerged
CONFIDENTIAL
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/05/13: LOC-HAK-178-5-21-6
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No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/05/13: LOC-HAK-178-5-21-6
`r1FIDENTIAL - a -
from his shell with his television speeches. Some observers believe that
Brezhnev was only able to win the day by considerable compromise on his
economic campaign--that is, by softening the harsh, purge-like atmosphere
he was generating.
The question remains whether Brezhnev's gain has been at the expense of
collective leadership in general, or only because of the weakening of some of
the stronger, more senior members of the politburo (Kosygin and Suslov).
Many observers believe that Kosygin will retire--honorably--and that this is
part of the political play in Moscow.
Signs of Disarray
Though there is agreement that the "crisis" has been resolved for now, there
are still some strange anomolies in Soviet behavior.
-- For example, Malik' 9- contradictory statements on a Geneva
conference are still
A similar incident occurred in the Middle East. The Soviet
press attache in Amman was quoted (accurately, it is claimed) making outrageous
new pronouncements on Soviet support for the liquidation of Israel. he next
day he repudiated his remarks. Another Soviet diplomat. in dad. made
a somewhat similar comment recently.
onumental mistake ered in the 50, 000 word Lenin Theses; it
turned oii that a nal g quotation of "social factors of force" attributed to Lenin
was actually from the Austrian Social Democrat Otto Bauer, whom Lenin
had roundly attacked as a "renegade". This was discovered by the East
Germans, and then widely publicized by the Chinese.
-- Finally, there was an amusing lapse by Andrei Kirilenko, a senior
politburo member and a long-time associate of Brezhnev, dating back to the
Ukraine and presumably one of the more powerful leaders. He made a speech
in Yerevan on April 14, two days before the opening of SALT, which contained
the following blooperi
"preliminary talks were held in Helsinki. on reducing strategic
nuclear weapons. These talks (SALT) will continue in Vienna in Mayr. "
Apparently Kirilenko's speech writers dusted off an old text from last fall and
central censorship either didn't see it, or know the facts, or bother to correct
a senior leader.
All 0 . ..- - -- - t-- - +----_ ---i -" ?f i,,,- rfAinty and
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/05/13 : LOC-HAK-178-5-21-6