Yuri Andropov

Yuri Andropov was a Soviet Communist Party leader who headed the KGB from 1967 to 1982 and served as General Secretary from 1982 until his death in 1984.

Leonid Brezhnev: Leonid Brezhnev led the Soviet Union as Communist Party General Secretary from 1964 until his death in 1982. Andropov succeeded Brezhnev after years as a senior figure in his leadership.
KGB: The KGB was the Soviet Union’s principal security and intelligence agency from 1954 to 1991. As its chairman, Andropov expanded its influence over domestic security and foreign intelligence.
Karelian-Finnish Soviet Socialist Republic: The Karelian-Finnish Soviet Socialist Republic was a Soviet republic that existed from 1940 to 1956. Andropov began his party career in its regional administration during the 1940s.
Able Archer 83: Able Archer 83 was a NATO command-post exercise in November 1983 that simulated nuclear release procedures. Andropov’s leadership interpreted the exercise amid heightened fears of a possible Western first strike.
Konstantin Chernenko: Konstantin Chernenko was a Soviet leader who succeeded Andropov as General Secretary in 1984. Their brief successions framed the final years of the Soviet leadership before Gorbachev.
Soviet dissident movement: The Soviet dissident movement comprised people who publicly challenged state policies and restrictions on civil liberties. The KGB under Andropov monitored, prosecuted, and pressured prominent dissidents.
Hungarian Revolution of 1956: The Hungarian Revolution of 1956 was a popular uprising against Soviet-backed rule that Soviet forces suppressed. As Soviet ambassador in Budapest, Andropov witnessed the uprising and helped report on its suppression.
KAL 007: Korean Air Lines Flight 007 was a passenger aircraft shot down by a Soviet interceptor in September 1983. The destruction of the aircraft during Andropov’s rule deepened the Soviet Union’s international isolation.
Mikhail Gorbachev: Mikhail Gorbachev led the Soviet Union from 1985 until its dissolution in 1991. Andropov promoted Gorbachev and helped prepare his path to the top leadership.
Psychiatric abuse in the Soviet Union: Psychiatric abuse in the Soviet Union included the use of psychiatric diagnosis and confinement to suppress political dissent. This practice intensified under Andropov’s KGB leadership as a means of silencing critics.

Linked from 13 pages