Andrei Zhdanov

Andrei Zhadanov is a radical, even for the Bolsheviks who came to power.

He sees the current state of the USSR as a weak confederation, obsessed with antiquated ideals of nations and tribes, that divide the republic and will lead to its downfall. He also emphasizes the threats of old imperialism to the west, and rampant capitalism to the east, viewing both as dire threats to the communist ideal, and out to get the USSR. Zhadanov sees the governments of both sides as imperialist dogs, and racist pigs, out to get the common man and squeeze out their livelihoods for their benefits. He sees the only way for their houses of cards to come tumbling down is to show their people the bare naked truth of the communist ideal. For this ideal to happen Zdhanov emphasizes the need for interaction and mingling between the diverse cultures of the USSR, and direly needs reform to both the state and the red army. He also sees dire need for a secret police force to scan for reactionaries, and he sees the existing NKVD as an ineffective nightmare and supports the camp of politicians who oppose it.

Zhdanov holds decent sway over a large portion of the reformist wing of the communist party and sees the current state of the USSR as unsustainable. He also has a large overlap with other reformist factions and a sizeable chunk of his pure following are little more than yes men. The most prominent of his protégés is Nikolai Voznesensky, who agrees with the vast majority of Zhdanov's ideals, he seems a slight bit naive and more focused on outward appearance than ideological purity. Aleksandar Scherbakov, on the other hand, is almost constantly drunk, and has been known to go on political rants on the odd occasion, and is kept on a tight leash by Zhdanov.

Nonetheless, Zhdanov is a powerful speaker and ideologue, and that has helped him get to this current position in the Soviet Politburo.