Abstract
The Soviet system was nominally a socialist democracy in which authority was exercised by a government that was formed by popular elections held at constitutionally prescribed intervals. In practice it was dominated by the network that was represented by its ‘leading and guiding force’, the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, and within the party by a ruling group that monopolized all positions of authority. Party members as a whole made up about 10 per cent of the adult population; however, all of them were obliged by the party rules to accept and implement the decisions of higher party bodies, and to refrain from any attempt to organize with other members (which was known as ‘fractionalism’). In practice, there were considerable differences within the ruling group that directed the entire network. Some of these stemmed from the competition for further advancement; others owed more to loyalties of a sectoral or regional kind that were supposed to unite groups such as the ‘steel eaters’ and place them at odds with the representatives of consumer goods industries. But in the last resort, their loyalty to the network as a whole was greater than their loyalty to any part of it; and if it was not, there were various party and extra-party sanctions that could be applied in order to secure obedience.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Copyright information
© 2011 Olga Kryshtanovskaya and Stephen White
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Kryshtanovskaya, O., White, S. (2011). The Formation of Russia’s Network Directorate. In: Kononenko, V., Moshes, A. (eds) Russia as a Network State. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230306707_2
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230306707_2
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-349-32083-7
Online ISBN: 978-0-230-30670-7
eBook Packages: Palgrave Political & Intern. Studies CollectionPolitical Science and International Studies (R0)