Explain to me the titles of Soviet leaders and their roles

[Gott]

I understand that the First/General Secretary of the CPSU is the head of government in the Soviet Union, while the Chairman of the Supreme Soviet serves as the head of state. But there are something that I had never understood.

Stalin and Khrushchev never served as the Chairman of the Supreme Soviet, but they yielded the most powerful role in the government, which effectively made them the leader of the USSR. Stalin was technically the head of government, but not of the state itself, yet he was able to assert himself the supreme power in the nation. Kalinin, who although held the post of the Chairman, did not have the power. What could the Chairman of the Supreme Soviet do in the government or the country that Stalin could not? Could the Chairman overrule the General Secretary's decisions? What are their respective roles in the Party and the nation?

When both the posts of General Secretary and Chairman is held by one single individual, which leaders such as Brezhnev, Andropov, Chernenko, and Gorbachev had done in the past, wouldn't it make them possible to assert even more power than Stalin as he was never the Chairman of the Supreme Soviet?

[Windward]

Well, the order of seats in the government were not the real role they played in Russia. You should list them by their position in the PARTY. The head of the party, General Secretary of the Central Committee, controled secret police and Ministers of Internal Affairs (NKVD/MVD), which was the most powerful force in USSR. The situation of China may help you understand structure of political power. Mao was chairman of CPC, Liu Shao Qi was the head of state. Chairman of CPC was also chairman of Central Military Committee who controled military force, police and other armed forces. Without his sign, any armed forces could not get ammo or supply, or even gasoline. Who control the arms, who dominate the power. China during WW2 was some alike. Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek controled the army, and Lin Sen was the head of state. Stalin separated his enemies, beat them one by one, and get the power into his hand. That's his difference with Brezhnev, Andropov, Chernenko, and Gorbachev can't gather the power Stalin had, for the leadership of the party was controled by a collectivity after his dieth, not controled by a person then, because some of them must unit to beat Beriya, who controled the secret police and might be the second Stalin, so they had to share the power jointly after they successed.

You can visit here:
http://www.terra.es/personal2/monolith/ussr.htm

regards!

Jason