Northern (N): Soviet Union (NS). Internal Political Situation

A file containing documents concerning Soviet politics. Subjects covered in the file include the problems posed to the Soviet leadership by nationalism amongst the populations of the Soviet republics; changes to the leadership of the republics' communist parties in order to strengthen Leonid Brezhnev's position; and details of the agenda for the forthcoming twenty-third Soviet communist party congress, which had leaked in Austria. Other subjects covered include attempts to revitalise and empower local soviets following Khrushchev's fall; the reasons for the dismissal of the First Secretary of the Armenian communist party, which included "serious mistakes and omissions in his style and method of work"; Soviet press coverage and comment on elections to the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union; the departure of foreign delegations to the party congress; and points made in speeches at the congress, including on party reorganisation, ideology, and culture.