Entry №7 Mamonovo, February 1984 ________________ The weakened and unstable Soviet leadership is seeking ways to avert open war and preserve the country through diplomatic initiatives and propaganda campaigns. Andropov’s death has seriously undermined the political leadership. Given deep internal rifts, the USSR finds it extremely difficult to mobilize resources quickly for a potential large-scale conflict, yet it still begins moving troops north of the Polish border. The growing crisis in the Soviet Union forces the start of a troop withdrawal from Afghanistan to avoid dispersing its forces.