Patronage and betrayal in the post-Stalin succession: The case of Kruglov and Serov

This paper will examine the phenomenon of betrayal in patronage networks in Soviet higher politics by considering one of the most high-profile and significant cases: the betrayal of Lavrenty Beria by two of his top lieutenants, Sergei Kruglov and Ivan Serov, during the post-Stalin succession contest in the spring of 1953.