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Soviet Union
(Continued from page 2)
the KGB-the Soviet security
police. At the time of his take–
over, the KGB was in the midst of
a morale problem. His perfor–
mance in putting the KGB back
into shape, according to the
Times,
"has been an alrnost
mi raculous balancing act. He has
polished up the KGB's gu lag–
dominated image both inside and
outside the Soviet Union. He has
powerfully advanced the KGB's
repu taüon and status within the
Kremlin hierarchy."
Fillin g Brezhnev's Shoes
Despite his talents and proveo
characte ri stics of tough, bu t
shrewd leadership, Mr. Andropov
has pretty large shoes to fill.
Leonid Brezhnev, while failing to
cure the U.S.S.R.'s endemic eco–
nornic problerns, nevertheless pre–
sided over the emergence of the
Soviet s tate as a genuine super–
power, rivaling th e U ni ted
S tates.
During the Brezhnev era Soviet
nuclear land forces grew many
times over in power and sophistica–
tion. The Soviet navy "learned to
swim," becoming an oceangoing
fleet, not just a coastal defense
force. Everywhere a round the
world, Soviet power, backing so–
called liberation forces, expanded
at the expense of declining Western
interests.
Former U .S. President Richard
Nixon had th is to say concerning
the late Soviet leader. He was,
said Mr. Nixon, " not a madman.
He was a real ist. Jf an opponent
showed weakness, Brezhnev would
take every possible advantage,
without scruple. But, when met
with firmness, he would compro–
mise. He wanted the world, but he
did not want war. If his successor
is convinced that we have the
strength and the will to resist
Soviet aggression, we can avoid
both war and defeat without
war."
lmpact Upon Europe and America
What will Mr. Brezhnev's succes–
sor do with the greatly enhanced
national power at his disposal?
February 1983
How will he deal with bis nation's
weaknesses at home and abroad?
T he pressure of the coming
months will not rest easily upon the
head of the new Soviet leader. The
simmer ing crisis in Eastern Eu–
rope, especially in Poland, wi ll not
go away. Mr. Andropov will have
to call upon all of his knowledge
an d experience concerning that
part of the Soviet empire in order
to deal with the challenges to
come.
Polish authorities have felt that
the situation in their country is
calm enough so that they could
release Lech Walesa, the former
head of the banned Solidarity
labor union, from custody . But
looming uneasi ly over the horizon
is the return visit, Jater this year,
of Pope J ohn Paul II to Poland.
What will happen in the wake of
this event?
T he biggest impact of the
c hange of power could be upon
events in W estern Europe. A
tough, unresilient boss in the
Kremlin could spur attempts on
the part of the nations of Western
Europe to unite.
Leaders in Western Europe are
beginning to get that hemmed-in
feeling. On the one side is the
Soviet Union determined to press
ahead with its military dominance
and political leverage. On the other
side, the Continental Europeans see
the United States and Britain
KONSTANTIN CHERNENKO,
a
Jeading
figure in the Soviet Politburo, lost out in
his
bid to succeed Leonid Brezhnev.
beginning to falter in their commit–
ments to the nuclear deterrence of
the West.
In the U.S. off-year election last
November 2, so-called nuclear
freeze propositions won in eight of
the nine states where they were on
the ballot. Thus increased pressure
is on President Reagan to slow
down the improvement of Ameri–
ca's nuclear arsenal (upon which
the defense of Western Europe
depends) and to engage in hasty
arms nego tiat ions with the Soviets.
In Britain the calis for nuclear dis–
armament within the ranks of the
Labour Party and the Church of
England are growing by the week.
On November 30, 1982 the French
Defense Min is ter open ly ques–
tioned, in a meeting of the Western
European Union, whether the U.S.
cou ld be counted on to defend
Europe. He urged Western Europe
to strengthen its defenses indepen–
dently of Washington.
T hus, the switch in the political
power at the top in the Soviet
Union is contributing to the even–
tual imperativeness of Western
Europe to unite as a separate bibli–
cally prophesied political, religious
and military "third superpower" in
this end-time age.
o
- Gene H. Hogberg
45