Yuri+Andropov

**Andropov (1914-1983) ** 


 * Early Years
 * Son of a railway worker
 * Worked as a telegraph operator
 * Attended technical college at Petrozavodsk University
 * Joined the Communist Party in 1939
 * Made head of the Komosomol in the Karelo Finnish Autonomous Republic

The Turning Point
 * Transferred to Moscow in 1951
 * Assigned to the Party's Secretariat staff
 * Considered a training ground for future Soviet officials
 * Acted as the embassador to Hungary (1954-1957)
 * Helped coordinate the Soviet invasion in future years

Prelude to Power
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">1967 became head of the KGB
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Extremely repressive
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Known for his suppression of political dissidents
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Elected to the Politburo
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Brezhnev's death prompted him to position himself for power
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Resigned his KGB post in 1982
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Chosen by the Communist Party to succeed Brezhnev
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Consolidated power by becoming chairman on June 16th, 1983
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">August 1983 he fell ill and was never seen again in public
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Accomplished very little and was succeeded by his rival Chernenko