DEVELOPING CRISIS IN THE KREMLIN

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP81-01036R000100070005-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 4, 2001
• Sequence Number: 5
• Publication Date: December 9, 1953
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2001/08/Oa :SCIA;RDP8a1f01 036R000100070005-9
SECRET
COUNTRY USSR
SECURITY INFORMATION
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
SUBJECT Developing Crisis in the Kremlin
25X1A
PLACE ACQUIRED
(BY SOURCE)
DATE ACQUIRED
(BY SOURCE)
DATE (OF INFO.)
25X1X
OF THE UNITED STATES, WITHIN THEMIANINO OF TITLE II, SECTIONS 713
AND 711. OF THE U.S. CODE, Al AMENDED. ITS TRANSMISSION OR REVS.
LATION OF ITS CONTENTS TO OR RECEIPT BY AN UNAUTHORIZED PERSON IS
THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS INFORMATION AFFECTING THE NATIONAL DEFENSE
THIS is UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
25X1A
DATE DISTR, / Dec 1953
NO. OF PAGES 2
NO. OF ENCLS.
SUPP. TO
REPORT NO.
?I strains an'or the various group> in the Kremlin are developing toward the
p~ int of orisia. The main underlying presaur,e is dale to Malr:nkov is impatience to
esta&. , is)r a pe?,sonal dictatorship of the Stalin type, ar, ambition in which he is
at present; assisted, by N.S.IthxNioh hev.
i. AST PA & AREA C:~:I
U.S. Officials Only
LDISTRIBUTION 4 STATE ARMY
'the differs- cea of -,pinion between Malen ov and Molotov over Soviet policy in
Germany have :led }he former to increase the; pres,rtrre on hiss :hiaf riva,l. Malenkav
has deot,ded to crush all opposition to his own, line, even at the of accusing
Molotov t,reas.on. The departure of Voroshi,lov from Mops, ow w.1.1l f ae.,11l.tate
Maien,kova s intentions. Mol"" is "not wrel: , and his position has been weakened by
the removal of E ,r,ia.
3. Since any ,andaamer,,ta.l and serious agreement with the West is not considered
possible in the Kremlin, and indeed, Is not even wanteed, Molot;.ov 1s hesitant about
opening
r.~.e .at ions, for the unavoidable failure of wwiioh he would be held
responsible. Molotov has so far succeeded in ali,owing the first proposal for a
Lugano CConf er?ence to go unanswered, and has the backing of the Red Army leaders,
but Is being pushed by Malenkov's insistence that he risk his prestige in the matter,
4. Malenk;ov resents the army leaders[ support of Molotov, whom they are also backing
on the German question. Malenk:ov..has been tr,gring to purge the upper army levels,
beginning with an effort to replace Admiral Kuznetsov by X ,RJ,,,,Bas1sty. This move
has provoked suspicion in high army levels, especially or, the, part of Marshal
Zhukov, and Is increasing the tension in the Kremlin,
SECRET
SECURITY INFORMATION
NAVY AIR FBI
Approved For Release 2001/08/02 : CIA-RDP81-01036R000100070005-9
 Approved For Release 2001/08/02 : CIA-RDP81-01036R000100070005-9
SEC UT 25X1
[JS OFJFICIALS OJ.I.LY/SECURITY INFORMATION
5. The position has recently been made more scmplew by the formation of a third,
new and independent group of young Communist leaders, including LPospelov,
MA.Sua:lov, M.0.Pervukhin, N..Z.Saburav, PX.P,.kno.marenko. This group is severely
critical of the activities Kaganovich, ..od Is also attacking N.A.Bulganin,
Voroshilov, and A.J.Mikoya:=i. Its pr'e~ ent 41m is to eliminate all members of the
Bolshevik old guard and s., rcortera of the pe:rional dictatorship of Stalin. The
older men find it diffi,c -~.t to adapts thezse:lve,s to the new theory of collective
leadership.
6. With the help of Malenk-,,V has been exploiting this s;itu.ation cleverly,
and is making ;, r44idesyy{$toward ay., pe~'/ruonal dir~tat(;/ox~ship. Mea?awhil/e, the action
~7~~6~{rk M{4i tuchi A,
against Berra' suppo 6~y M"ly+ ,L.i being p s.,),ed #'xrrward. Alexander
Secretary of the Coo ,,)nist Party in SIberia war,, recently arrested, it) Irkutsk,
along with several, members of the regional C1'sn; ,r-al Con,mittee.
L SRARY SUBJECT & AREA CODES
101.3 N
135.5 N
135.24 9N
173.3 N
SECRET
3RC::TJRITY IN1'ORMATTQN/LUS OFF,"'ICIALS ONLY
Approved For Release 2001/08/02 : CIA-RDP81-01036R000100070005-9