Mikhail suslov biography

(b. Saratov province, 21 Nov. 1902; d.

Dmitry suslov

Moscow, 25 Jan. 1982)

Russian; member of the Central Committee 1941–82 and Secretary 1947–50, 1952–82, ‘Second Secretary’ 1964–82 Born into a peasant family, Suslov was sent by the party to study in Moscow, later attending the Plekhanov Institute and the Institute of Red Professors.

In 1931 he joined the party's Central Control Commission, helping to purge the Urals region. In 1937–9 he was secretary of the Rostov-on-Don Regional Committee and 1939–44 secretary of Stavropol Krai, in both areas being responsible for crushing dissent, in particular organizing the deportation of many ‘disloyal’ nationalities from the Caucasus.

He headed the party Bureau in Lithuania 1944–6, where he organized mass executions and deportations. In 1947 Stalin made him Agitprop Secretary and in 1948 a candidate member of the Politbureau. He drew up the indictment for Yugoslavia's expulsion from the Cominform and succeeded Zhdanov as Soviet