Yuri Bezmenov: The Four Stages of Ideological Subversion Full Interview (1984)

Soviet informant and KGB operative Yuri Bezmenov defected to the United States in the early 70s where he laid out the four stages of “ideological subversion” created by radical Marxists to indoctrinate and weaken nations from within. Bezmenov warned at the time that the US was already well into the 'Demoralization' stage.

1. Demoralization. For this step in the process, 15 – 20 years are needed. That is the amount of time required to educate a generation. Helping along the way are media and teachers who have become sympathetic (consciously or unconsciously) to the theoretical causes of the subverting nation. Bezmenov claims that the USSR was surprised at how easy this phase was in the US.

2. Destabilization. Following the earlier phase, this is a two to five year period to change the target country’s foreign relations, defense, and economy.

3. Crisis. Perhaps six weeks of chaos as a climatic turning point.

4. Normalization. This stage changes the appreciation of what the status quo looks like. Bezmenov’s description of this phase also includes military take over.