USSR: Communist Party: Congresses

According to the party charter, the Congress was the supreme organ of the Communist Party. It was convened to decide all key questions and to elect the Central Committee. Formally, the Congress was responsible for revisions of the charter and of the party program, but, in fact, its power was limited to official approval. Despite its definition as the supreme organ, the Congress did not elect the Politburo (Presidium), the Orgburo or the Secretariat. These bodies reported to the Congress, which assumed their functions for the period when it was in session [1].

The frequency of the Congress convocation in 1917-1925 reflected its important role in decision-making during the Bolshevik revolution and the Civil War in Russia. At times, the Congresses turned into a battlefield for rivaling factions within the party. It made all key decisions relating to the party policies and the general course. As Stalin increasingly consolidated his power and eliminated the factions, the Congress lost its original significance. It turned into a vast body convened to approve the politics pursued by the Politburo. The gaps between the Congresses increased from one year in 1917-1925 to five years in 1934-1939. During the World War II and after Stalin and his Central Committee did not convoke the Congress for 13 years. Starting from 1956, the party charter provided for convocation of the Congress once in five years.