: Approved For Release 2008/02/26 : CIA-ROP80-00810A006000360008.0 INFORMATION REPORT INFORMATION REPORT z CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY UGBE"GEAO a ete emit sree of ooh ea stan sauna pron aad OSX 4 secret counter vss report susxect Consents on the Change in Soviet oAte alse WAR 2 125K: Leadership un we : No. oF races 2 25x1 Date OF Wo, EQUREMENT NO, RO rernences This is UNEVALUATED Information| ‘SOURCE EVALUATIONS ARE DEFINTIVE. APPRAISAL OF CONTENT 18 TENTATIVE 1. Even in Stalin's time there was collective leadership. The Western ides on ofa dictater within the Communist setup 10 emageraced. Micunéerstandings on Ghat subject are ceused by lack of comprehension of the Tea) nature and organi intion of the Communist pover structure, Stalin, although holding vide povers, vies nerely the capesin of a tenn and 1 scene obvious that Knruenehey will be he nev captain. “Eovever, 42 dove not appear that say of the present leaders vin rise to the stature Of Lenin and Stalsn,so that ie will be aafer to Essie that developuente in Hoocov will be long the Lines of vbat is called collective leederehip, unless Western policies force the Soviets to stream ine their power orgaaizstion, The present situation to tke sost favorable fron the point of view of spectting the Comuniet Sletatcrentp since the death of Stalin. 2, There vill not be e dramitic purge. Inasmuch as the MID has eiready been cleaned up and the Party and the Army have not been in the bands of Malenkov's favorites, there con be expected only © norsel replecenent of officials in ‘the reorginization of the top-level administration of the Party and the Govern nent. 3. It de bard to draw any paraiiel between present events and those of the 1920's vhen Stalin was ascending to pover. ‘There 8 now no organized opposition inside the Party or in the Soviet Union in general. As the Communist ruler: and evidently eleo the Soviet people, see it, there is a grave outside menact A. Since the death of Stalin and the lov vhich vas given to the power of the secret police, the Soviet internal situation has been ine state of flux. The nev Soviet setup needs time for consolidation. Tke struggle betwean national-ninded "Titotst" elements in the Soviet leadership an4 those vho ‘think in terms of the nore orthodox international line lp still going on. 5. No teprovenent in the food situation can be expected. The promises of Malenkov to improve the poor miterial conditions of the masses vere not kept. Insemich ag ae T Ten Wore vio hid bY fad dona by INFORMATION REPORT INFORMATION REPORT ea “Approved For Release 2008/02/26 - ClA-RDP80-00810A006000360009-0Approved For Release 2008/02/26 : CIA-ROP80-00810A006000360008.0 ‘seoREr 25X1 fas the Communist leaders were unable to keep this proniee, particularly decause of accelerated war preparations, they hed to find’e scapegoat, and thus Malenkov resigned. Bulgantn impressed those who had vorlied with bin in the State Bank, ine cluding @ fanous expert on banking, vith his high intelligence, mila manners, and cepactty to learn ine very short tine the soot special and diftteult problens. It te aiftteult to anticipate any vithdravel from the Soviet foreten policy line unless there ere concessions from the West with regard to ‘the ratification of the Parts agreenents. There 10 a possibility that @ continuation of discord among the Soviet leaders may lead to @ soft- ening of the Soviet position and to a recognition ty Nolotcy of hie Ancompetence in the conduct of foreign relations. The Soviet leaders however, have recognized that the balance of pover bas changed in favor of the West. ‘They are nov endeavoring to change this balance as can be seen from the shift to accelerated var production, and the attempts to GLerupt Western unity. The aggresshonese of the Chinese Communists zay also be a part of this endeavor. A stiff ponition on the part of the Wout tovard the USSR probably favors the continuation in nover of the nora stift elements in the Soviet lendarshin. 25x1 25X1 maoRet “Approved For Release 2008/02/26 - ClA-RDP80-00810A006000360009-0