CPSU Membership, 1917-1967
A graph showing the total number, full members, and probationary members of the Soviet Communist Party, 1917-1967.
The graph above shows the membership numbers of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) from 1917 to 1967. The graph tracks both official members and probationary members (candidates). These probationary positions did not exist until December 1919 and were not included in Party censuses until 1922. After Joseph Stalin began consolidating his power in 1924, the CPSU experienced a significant increase in party membership. The first substantial decline in membership occurred in 1933, when the Central Committee and Central Control Commission organized a purge of party members deemed harmful and temporarily slowed recruitment. This purge, along with the later Great Purge, led to a decline in party membership that lasted until 1938, when both were concluded. The gradual recovery of members after the purges was aided by the outbreak of the Great Patriotic War, which led to another surge in membership until the war’s end. The CPSU experienced continuous growth until 1953, following Stalin’s death. While the total number of members did not differ significantly after Stalin’s death, the number of new candidates fell and did not recover until after Brezhnev replaced Khrushchev. This suggests that Khrushchev’s controversial policies discouraged new applicants.