Talks from the Hoover Institution At Home With The KGB: A New History Of The Soviet Security Service
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May 28, 2025 Amir Weiner, a Stanford associate professor of history and director of the Centre for Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies, dives deep into the KGB's tactics in maintaining Soviet stability. He reveals how psychological pressure and conspiracy thinking were key methods, rather than outright violence. Weiner also discusses the influence of foreign literature on KGB operations and examines Vladimir Putin's complex relationship with the agency. Ultimately, he highlights the KGB's failure to adapt and its role in the USSR's collapse.
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KGB's Psychological Control Strategy
- The KGB adapted from Stalin's brutal methods to psychological pressure and surveillance to maintain control peacefully.
- They used "prophylactic" measures to nip dissent early, deterring trouble while reducing overt violence until the Soviet collapse.
KGB's Threat Over Actual Violence
- The KGB rarely used violence directly but relied heavily on the constant threat of it to intimidate citizens.
- Even dissidents confirmed that crime was usually psychological, with physical violence mostly confined to prison or psychiatric abuse.
KGB's Conspiratorial Mindset
- The KGB embraced conspiratorial thinking, deeply suspicious of Western influence, especially after crises like 1962's Cuban Missile Crisis.
- They thrived on conspiracy theories, born from internal plots and perpetually fearing master plots against the Soviet regime.