General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
The General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union was the leader of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU). From 1924 until the country's dissolution in 1991, the officeholder was the recognized leader of the Soviet Union. Prior to Stalin's accession, the position was not viewed as an important role in Lenin's government and previous occupants had been responsible for technical rather than political decisions.
| General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union | |
|---|---|
| Генеральный секретарь ЦК КПСС | |
Emblem of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union | |
| Central Committee of the Communist Party Secretariat Communist Party | |
| Style | Comrade General Secretary (informal) |
| Type | Party leader |
| Status | Country leader |
| Member of |
|
| Residence | Kremlin Senate |
| Seat | Kremlin, Moscow |
| Appointer | Central Committee |
| Formation | 3 April 1922 |
| First holder | Joseph Stalin |
| Final holder | Vladimir Ivashko (acting) |
| Abolished | 29 August 1991 |
| Superseded by | Chairman of the Union of Communist Parties |
| Salary | 10,000 Rbls annually |
Officially, the General Secretary solely controlled the Communist Party directly. However, since the party had a monopoly on political power, the General Secretary de facto had executive control of the Soviet government. Because of the office's ability to direct both the foreign and domestic policies of the state and preeminence over the Soviet Communist Party, it was the de facto highest office of the Soviet Union.