Definition

Noun 1. A former state security organization: The Committee for State Security was the primary security agency, intelligence service, and secret police of the Soviet Union from 1954 until its dissolution in 1991. It was responsible for state security, foreign intelligence, counter-intelligence, and maintaining the political regime's stability.

Usage

The term "Committee for State Security" is a proper noun used historically to refer to this specific Soviet institution. It is often discussed in historical, political, and intelligence contexts. - The archives of the Committee for State Security contain many documents from the Cold War era. - Historians study the methods used by the Committee for State Security to understand Soviet domestic control.

Advanced Usage

• As a historical entity: The term is used to analyze the structure and impact of Soviet governance and surveillance.
  • The role of the Committee for State Security in suppressing dissent was a key feature of the Soviet state.

Variants and Related Words

• KGB: This is the common English transliteration of the Russian acronym for "Komitet Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosti," which translates directly to "Committee for State Security." The two terms are synonymous.
  • The KGB, or Committee for State Security, was a powerful instrument of Soviet power.

Synonyms

• Secret police: A general term for a police force operating in secrecy to maintain a government's political power.
• Intelligence agency: An organization responsible for gathering and analyzing information about foreign governments or non-state actors.

Notes on Meaning

The "Committee for State Security" refers exclusively to the Soviet agency. It is not a generic term for any committee concerned with security. Its functions encompassed both domestic political policing and foreign espionage.

Noun

1. formerly the predominant security police organization of Soviet Russia