Yuri Andropov

Yuri Andropov was a Soviet politician who served as General Secretary of the Communist Party from 1982 until his death in 1984. Before that, he was the head of the KGB, the Soviet secret police, where he was known for cracking down on dissent and emphasizing espionage. As leader, he aimed to improve the Soviet economy and reduce corruption, but his time in office was short, and he faced ongoing Cold War tensions with the United States. Andropov's tenure is seen as a transitional period that indirectly influenced later reforms under Mikhail Gorbachev.