While the contradictions between the Eastern and Western camps deepened, the political situation within the Soviet Union began to become stable.

With Beria's power being hollowed out and Malenkov being demoted, the original situation of "three kingdoms" in the Soviet top leadership has become a checks and balances between the "Siberian faction" and the "Leningrad faction".

Many people thought that the conflicts and contradictions between the Siberian faction and the Leningrad faction would become more and more like the confrontation between the Eastern and Western camps in the world, but what is surprising is that the contradictions between the two factions not only did not expand, but on the contrary, there were signs of easing the friendship.

Although during World War II, some conflicts of ideas and interests began between Manturov and Voznesensky, the second leading figure of the Leningrad faction, under the mediation of Alexei Kosygin, the personal contradictions between the two did not expand to the level of factional contradictions, so that the relationship between the two factions has always been maintained in a state of "well water does not interfere with river water".

Later, after being elected secretary of the Secretariat of the CPSU Central Committee, concurrently head of the Organization Department of the CPSU Central Committee and deputy chairman of the Central Supervisory Commission, Manturov seized personnel power within the CPSU.

He was not only able to use the power of the head of the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee to decide the fate of the promotion of the vast majority of leading cadres in the Soviet Union, but also was able to supervise the disciplinary behavior of various cadres in his capacity as vice chairman of the Central Supervision Committee of the CPSU, and to investigate cadres suspected of violating discipline.

As Manturov's authority increased, many Leningrad cadres began to befriend him because they feared for their own personal future. Zhdanov, the second secretary of the CPSU Central Committee, who was second only to Stalin in the CPSU, was also checked and balanced by Manturov in many respects, so that the distribution of power within the CPSU began to become balanced.

Under such circumstances, the two bigwigs of the two factions, Manturov and Zhdanov, did not fight over different issues, but on the contrary, they made concessions to each other on some personnel appointments and dismissals, and even cooperated with each other, so that the relations between the two factions were superficially eased.

After the end of the Soviet-German war, Andrei Andreyev, who was also the Minister of Agriculture of the Soviet Union, Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU, and Chairman of the Central Supervisory Commission (you read that right, he was the secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and Minister of Agriculture), put forward the idea of experimenting with the agricultural contract system in some parts of Ukraine, hoping to increase the income of farmers and increase the enthusiasm of agricultural production.

However, this proposal was strongly opposed by Stalin, and Manturov, who had "foreseen" Andreyev's fate in advance, also "advised" in private as a "friend", but it did not work.

As a result, Stalin publicly criticized Andreyev at a meeting of the Secretariat of the Central Committee, arguing that Andreyev's intentions, although good, were contrary to the party line, showing signs of right-leaning, even Trotskyization (Andreyev was once a supporter of Trotsky), and that he was no longer fit to lead agricultural work and to hold important positions in the party.

Hearing Stalin's words, all the Central Committee secretaries present knew what this meant, and Stalin wanted not only to remove Andreyev from his post as Minister of Agriculture, but also to remove him from all important positions in the party (members of the Politburo, members of the Secretariat of the Central Committee, and Chairman of the Central Supervisory Commission).

After the meeting, Andreyev personally went to Manturov's office (both offices were in the building of the Central Committee of the CPSU at No. 4 Starea Square), hoping that Manturov would speak well of Stalin and leave him a better position.

Once, for Manturov, Andreyev, who became the secretary of the Central Committee at the age of 29, was simply a bigwig-like existence, but now, the chairman of the Central Supervisory Commission, who can get rid of the vast majority of the cadres in the party, actually comes to his office in person to ask for help!

Such a big psychological gap hit Andreyev's self-esteem seriously, but for the sake of his own future, his own life, he had to do it!

On the contrary, Manturov was quite happy with Andreyev's "initiative to get closer", and if it could be dealt with, the secretary of the Central Committee sitting in front of him could become his hardcore ally.

For Andreyev's plea for help, Manturov actually didn't want to help, but even if he helped, history would not change anything because of his help.

Historically, Stalin did vigorously criticize Andreyev's proposed agricultural contract system and removed him from his posts as Minister of Agriculture and Secretary of the Central Secretariat, but Andreyev did not lose his position in the Politburo and the Central Supervisory Commission because of this incident, and remained the highest-ranking discipline inspection cadre in the Soviet Union.

Even if Andreyev received Manturov's help, I am afraid that it would not be able to change his fate of losing the two positions of secretary of the Secretariat of the Central Committee and minister of agriculture, after all, his performance this time made Stalin begin to doubt his ability in agricultural work and party work, compared with the previous practice of arresting people at every turn and sending them to the Siberian gulag, Stalin was able to remove his secretary of the Central Committee and the minister of agriculture, which was already a very lenient treatment.

Of course, Manturov still wanted to use this opportunity to cultivate an ally. So in front of Andreyev, he still pretended to smile and said confidently: "Don't worry, Andrei Andreevich, you will be fine." ”

Andreyev did not know where Manturov's confidence was, perhaps the young man had gained the absolute trust of Stalin and even had full control over the highest personnel in the party, an unimaginable force at his disposal. But in any case, since this young man is willing to help, then don't question him, maybe he should really be an ally with this young man.

It was in such confusion that he left Manturov's office and waited for the "Last Judgment" to come.

Less than a week later, Stalin announced the dismissal of Andreyev from his posts as Minister of Agriculture and Secretary of the Secretariat of the Central Committee, while the posts of member of the Politburo and Chairman of the Central Supervisory Commission remained retained. (As in history.) ）

For this arrangement, although Andreyev lost two positions, he still sits in the position of member of the Politburo and chairman of the Central Supervision Commission. He also thought that this was the result of Manturov's operation for him (in fact, Stalin also asked Manturov's opinion, and this arrangement could be regarded as Manturov's proposal), so he began to move closer to Manturov and became a staunch member of the "Siberian faction".