General Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU

elected by the Central Committee (CC) of the CPSU. The post of general secretary was first established by the plenum of the CC elected by the Eleventh Congress of the RCP (Bolshevik) in 1922. The plenum elected J. V. Stalin general secretary of the CC of the party. From the September 1953 Plenum of the CC CPSU a first secretary was elected instead of a general secretary.

The Twenty-third Congress of the CPSU (March-April 1966) reestablished the post of general secretary of the CC CPSU. The party rules ratified by the Twenty-third Congress state: “The Central Committee elects the General Secretary of the CC CPSU” (par. 38). The plenum of the CC CPSU that convened after the congress in April 1966 elected L. I. Brezhnev general secretary of the CC CPSU. The plenum of the CC CPSU elected by the Twenty-fourth Congress of the party (April 1971) again elected L. I. Brezhnev general secretary of the CC CPSU.