There are many reasons for the demise of the Soviet Union and CPSU, but the ideological and political degeneration of the leadership group from Khrushchev to Gorbachev is the root cause, which is manifested in eight aspects. In faith, they wavered, deviated from,abandoned and finally completely betrayed socialist and communist ideals. In theory, they failed to learn, did not understand, deviated from and ultimately diverged from and betrayed Marxism-Leninism. Politically, they weakened, distorted and completely denied and forsook the party’s leadership and Marxist-Leninist principles of party development. Economically, they shifted from“the higher the degree of public ownership, the better” to the abandonment of the socialist public ownership system, and engaged in promoting complete privatization. Organizationally, they abandoned the party’s nature of being the vanguard of the working class, practiced cronyism and factionalism, and openly usurped the leadership of the Party. In terms of work style, they engaged in formalism and bureaucracy, deviated from and betrayed the fundamental interests of the people. Diplomatically, they initially feared the United States and strove for hegemony, but later catered to and surrendered to Western imperialism headed by the United States. In terms of outlook on life, they advocated individualism with pursuit of personal promotion and family privileges, and finally became careerists and conspirators who subverted the party and state power.

Editor: Zhong Yao、Zheng Yifan

From:World Socialism Studies.2022.No.9.