The plot was simple: have the KGB chair isolate Khrushchev on
his return from vacation; convene a plenum of the Central Commit-
tee to convict Khrushchev of “adventurism”; and place the former
leader under dignified house arrest. It went exactly as planned:
Khrushchev’s plane was met by KGB Chair Vladimir Semichastniy,
who whisked Khrushchev off to the Kremlin to face a humiliating
trial. After two days of personal attacks, Brezhnev was anointed party
leader and Khrushchev became a “nonperson.”
In 1991 the KGB helped party conservatives in the August putsch
against General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev. Times had changed,
however, and the tactics that worked smoothly in 1964 failed badly
in 1991.OFFICE OF STRATEGIC SERVICES (OSS). The OSS, founded in
1942, was America’s first centralized civilian intelligence organiza-
tion. Unfortunately it was penetrated by the NKVD, who referred to
it with the contemptuous code name “izba” (peasant hut). The Soviet
service’s most important agent inside the OSS was Duncan Lee, a
Yale graduate, well-known lawyer, and member of the American es-
tablishment. Lee provided the NKVD with details of American intel-
ligence on China, as well as details on how the service worked with
the War Department and the White House. Other OSS agents pro-
vided details on U.S. intelligence and policy toward Europe, the So-
viet Union, and Asia.
The OSS did not conduct operations against the Soviet intelligence
services or try to collect intelligence clandestinely on the Soviet
Union. On one occasion, the OSS returned to the Soviets one of their
code books, which the OSS had obtained from the Finns. It is believed
that no copy was made of the book. The OSS director, Major General
William Donovan, sought a liaison relationship with the NKVD dur-
ing World War II. The Soviets did provide the United States with
some important information on Nazi tactics and equipment, but no
real liaison relationship developed between the two services.OGOLTSOV, SERGEI IVANOVICH (1900–1977). Ogoltsov was
one of the few “Old Chekists” to survive the purges of both Nikolai
Yezhovand Lavrenty Beria. Ogoltsov entered the Chekaat age 17.
During the purges he was rapidly promoted, and he served as head ofOGOLTSOV, SERGEI IVANOVICH (1900–1977)• 17906-313 G-P.qxd 7/27/06 7:56 AM Page 179