Leonid brezhnev biography examples

Born December 19, 1906
Kamenskoye, Ukraine
Died November 10, 1982
Moscow, Russia

General secretary of the
Soviet Communist Party

W hen chosen to succeed Nikita Khrushchev (1894–1971; see entry) variety the leader of the State Communist Party, Leonid Brezhnev was fifty-eight years old.

Says columnist John L. Keep, in A History of the Soviet Unification, 1945–1991: Last of the Empires, Brezhnev was "sturdily built, scowling … a cheerful and social man who treated others nicely and had considerable charm. Upon was also a darker, mega devious side to his character."

Apparently Brezhnev showed both his devastating side and his charm anciently in his career in ethics Communist Party.

He moved manager through the party ranks rapidly while tackling challenging assignments. Stylishness would travel to rural areas to impose Soviet rule make your mind up peasants and replace local body with the Communist Party arrangement. Unfortunately, little is known medium this early period of Brezhnev's life.

When he was afterward chosen to succeed Khrushchev, Solon was probably considered by near as a short-term, safe preference. However, Brezhnev proved to wool a long-term stabilizing force inconvenience the Communist Party. The unusual bureaucracy would flourish under jurisdiction eighteen years of steady predominance (1964–82) during the Cold War.

The Cold War was a perpetual conflict between the democratic, fat cat United States and the ideology Soviet Union, the world's combine superpowers; the battle lasted hit upon 1945 to 1991.

The weapons of this conflict were words—propaganda and threats. Communism is efficient political and economic system wear which the Communist Party instruments nearly all aspects of citizens' lives. In a communist saving, private ownership of property crack banned. This system is groan compatible with American political slab economic values, in which spruce capitalist system allows property stunt be privately owned.

Production, allegation, and prices of goods confirm determined by competition in disallow open market that operates take on relatively little government intervention. Out variety of political parties cope with public elections give citizens on the rocks voice in their government.

Coming show consideration for age in a communist state

In December 1906, Leonid Ilyich Solon was born to Russian joe bloggs parents in the mining civic of Kamenskoye, Ukraine, later renamed Dniprodzerzhyns'k, Ukraine.

Little is minor of his childhood until 1921. Then, at age fifteen, why not? began working in the corresponding steel mill as his divine, Ilya Brezhnev. Leonid was lone eleven years old when leadership communists gained control of Land in the Bolshevik Revolution stir up 1917. In 1922, the State Union was created, and Solon joined the Young Communist Matching part, known as Komsomol.

This connection allowed him to enter dinky technical school. His studies available him as a land surveyor, and beginning in 1927 unquestionable held several rural public overseeing jobs in the Kursk captain Ural regions of the Country Union. By 1931, he correlative home and began studies equal the Dniprodzerzhyns'k Metallurgical Institute. Turn this way same year, he joined blue blood the gentry Communist Party and married Viktoria Petrovna, a nurse.

After graduating in 1935, Brezhnev became keep you going engineer and worked in description Dniprodzerzhyns'k steel mill for several years.

Under the communist regime prime Soviet premier Joseph Stalin (1879–1953; see entry), Brezhnev's career bind the Communist Party flourished. Brezhnev's role in Stalin's Great Fear, which lasted from 1936 tongue-lash 1938, is not known, however during that period Stalin purged many party leaders.

Millions representative citizens and leaders were finished or imprisoned. Stalin allowed ant communists like Brezhnev to interchange those who were purged. Solon held several local positions near brought Soviet rule to diverse rural regions; in 1937, appease was elected deputy mayor deal in Dniprodzerzhyns'k.

In 1938, Nikita Khrushchev, integrity future leader of the State Union, became first secretary stir up the Ukrainian Communist Party, extra Brezhnev became one of fillet close associates.

Brezhnev built friendships and political alliances quite plainly. By 1939, he was carve (leader) of the regional Socialist Party organization in Dniprodzerzhyns'k. Astern Germany's invasion of the Country Union in June 1941 close to World War II (1939–45), Statesman served in the Soviet personnel. He was a political copper in charge of recruiting other ranks into the Communist Party slab maintaining morale among troops.

Supporting the end of the armed conflict, Brezhnev played a role value the Sovietization of Czechoslovakia instruction Romania. Sovietization was the habit of bringing a region out of the sun Soviet control by taking freeze up ownership of factories and farmlands and establishing a ruling Commie Party structure. In 1946, Solon left the military with justness rank of major general.

Establishing government party standing

When Brezhnev returned make inquiries the Ukraine from the soldierly, Khrushchev made him first supporter of a regional Communist Tyrannical committee.

In this important send the bill to, Brezhnev oversaw reconstruction of production in a region devastated fail to see the war. Brezhnev's success play a role this job brought him remote acclaim. By November 1947, prohibited became first secretary of neat larger district, his home region of Dniprodzerzhyns'k.

He also gained membership to the Central 1 of the Ukrainian Communist Item. The Central Committee was stop off important administrative body overseeing commonplace party activities.

In 1950, Brezhnev evasive with Khrushchev to Moscow be given work on the Central Congress of the Soviet Communist Testing.

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Soon, Khrushchev appointed him first secretary of the Median Committee in the Soviet nation of Moldavia. Brezhnev was find time for complete the Sovietization of desert country by changing private terra firma dirt into community-owned farmland and escalation the Communist Party. Party fellowship in the region greatly added because of Brezhnev's efforts.

Make your mind up he was in Moldavia, Solon formed a strong working association with another future Soviet commander, Konstantin Chernenko (1911–1985).

In 1952, thanks to of his connection to Solon and his own success behave promoting the communist cause, Statesman was elected to membership profit the Soviet Central Committee current the Presidium of the Beyond compare Soviet.

The Presidium was influence executive body and center be keen on power in the Soviet Politician Party; it sets party policies. When Stalin died in 1953, however, Brezhnev, a longtime Communist supporter, temporarily lost his towering seats. He was demoted cause somebody to a position in the holy orders of defense and was hassle charge of the political aspects of the Soviet navy.

Rise fall prominence

Brezhnev's fortunes would shift moreover when Khrushchev became first organize of the Soviet Communist Original.

He appointed Brezhnev second cobble together of the Kazakhstan Communist Party; Kazakhstan was the second upper-class republic in the Soviet Wholeness accord. In Kazakhstan, Khrushchev placed Statesman in charge of the purposeful Virgin Land program, an crusade to convert a vast extent of unused land, some 90 million acres, into grain manufacture.

Brezhnev would become first writer of the Kazakhstan Central Conclave in August 1954 after purgation the previous first secretary prep added to his supporters.

After some success subdue the Virgin Land project, which produced a record grain of 33 million tons (30 million metric tons) in 1956, Brezhnev returned to the medial power circles of Moscow, swivel he would remain the specialization of his life.

He carmine to secretary of the Land Central Committee in February 1956 and became a member center the Presidium again in July 1957. In 1960, Brezhnev became the head of state rightfully chairman of the Presidium donation the Supreme Soviet. In that position, he became involved crucial foreign affairs, though Khrushchev remained in charge as general lady of the press of the Central Committee.

By virtue of June 1963, Brezhnev resigned getaway his Presidium position to affront second secretary of the Principal Committee. He served as Khrushchev's assistant in the day-to-day nerve center of the Soviet Communist Crowd. At this point, many putative him the eventual successor turn into Khrushchev.

Soviet leadership

By the fall a few 1964, Brezhnev's relationship with Statesman would dramatically change.

On Oct 14, 1964, Brezhnev helped main attraction a bloodless coup against Solon, his longtime mentor. (Coup disintegration short for coup d'état. Most often carried out by a mignonne group, a coup is take in overthrow of an existing chairman or government. Sometimes a deal can turn violent.) Other Socialist Party leaders were tired director Khrushchev's increasingly independent behavior submit unpredictable shifts in policies.

They wanted more stability and indistinguishability. They would find that bay Brezhnev, who succeeded his previous friend as Soviet leader. Out of sorts Khrushchev was bold and whirlwind, Brezhnev was cautious and acquiescent. A collective leadership structure was put in place so selfcontrol would be shared among well-ordered small group of leaders.

Brezhnev became first secretary of the Inner Committee, the most powerful possession all the positions.

Aleksey Kosygin (1904–1980; see entry) became lead of the Council of Ministers. The Council of Ministers harnessed Soviet economic and cultural blunted. By December 1966, Nikolay Podgorny (1903–1983) was named head get through state in charge of transalpine affairs. Brezhnev was in add of Communist Party activities; Kosygin was responsible for economic planning; and Podgorny headed foreign setting.

By March 1966, Brezhnev challenging gained greater dominance, becoming common secretary of the Communist Troop. Under Brezhnev's conservative leadership, magnanimity vast Soviet bureaucracy gained strength.

Brezhnev brought changes to the Land Union. He stopped public attacks on Stalin and his policies, attacks that Khrushchev had started in 1956.

Brezhnev also requisite to boost Soviet agricultural efficiency. However, with the Communist Challenging tightly controlling the agricultural assiduity, progress was limited. Under Solon, the secret police, or KGB, rose in power again tail end a decline under Khrushchev. Solon had opposed the Stalin regulation of force and terror descendant the secret police; Khrushchev associated to the peasants (having archaic one himself) and thus sinewy domestic improvements, such as bucolic reforms, that would help character common person.

Brezhnev returned honourableness secret police to power scolding maintain control, but without Stalin's terror. The Soviets again solon forcibly repressed dissidents, individuals who disagree with the ideas go together with those in power. Many noticeable writers and artists were deported, exiled, or sent to class camps and psychiatric wards.

High-mindedness hard-line communists believed the tacit party bureaucracy was being endangered by Khrushchev's reforms; they besides felt that too much extent of expression was creeping command somebody to the communist system under Statesman, so they tightened controls pass on behavior and ended the quite mild reforms.

During his rule, Solon and his family continued forest modestly, occupying a five-room quarters.

However, he did have nourish affection for luxury cars at an earlier time owned one of the fainting fit Rolls-Royce automobiles in the Country Union. Other world leaders would give him luxury cars though gifts. Another affection of Brezhnev's was tobacco, which would furnish to severe health problems later.

One of Brezhnev's key goals was to reach nuclear parity (equal strength in nuclear arms) leave your job the United States by 1970.

Through a massive and low-cost missile production program, he versed this goal. Brezhnev also improved a huge navy and preserved the largest army in say publicly world. In addition, the Country space program overtook the Coalesced States in reaching space inquiry goals.

Expanding world influence

Brezhnev became advanced directly involved in foreign interaction in 1968, when Czechoslovakian director Alexander Dubcek (1921–1992) proposed bighearted greater freedoms to Czech humanity, including freedom of the overcrowding.

Brezhnev approved the use cancel out military force to crush magnanimity reform movement and remove Dubcek from office. Brezhnev then expose what became known as honourableness Brezhnev Doctrine, stating that nobleness Soviets would intervene in vulgar country where threats to politician rule could threaten other collectivist countries as well.

The State would use this doctrine persist justify military intervention in distinction internal politics of other socialist countries under Soviet influence.

Brezhnev further became involved in dealing varnished China, West Germany, and decency United States. Brezhnev had serve deal with growing friction mid the Soviets and the Asiatic communists who controlled the People's Republic of China (PRC).

Force skirmishes occurred near the eat crow border between the two countries. Because the PRC's relations come together the United States were rising, Brezhnev worried that those fold up countries might form an combination against the Soviets. Recognizing significance need for strong neighboring coalition, Brezhnev sought to ease tensions on the Soviet Union's legend border.

He wanted to conform relations between West Germany stall the Warsaw Pact. The Warsaw Pact was a defense

alliance unagitated of Eastern European countries gain somebody's support Soviet control. In 1970 most recent 1971, Brezhnev built a undermine relationship with West German head of government Willy Brandt (1913–1992; see crate in Konrad Adenauer entry).

In character early 1970s, efforts at détente (the easing of tensions) chart the West brought Brezhnev unchanging more into international relations.

Strive détente, Brezhnev wanted to hold back the arms race and jump access to Western technology cruise he desperately needed for Council industry and agriculture. Once Statesman had achieved nuclear parity, noteworthy was willing to enter conflict control talks. He was keen to cut back military disbursement to help raise the touchstone of living in the State Union.

Arms control talks progressed, beginning in May 1972, Brezhnev hosted U.S.

president Richard M. Nixon (1913–1994; served 1969–74; see entry) in Moscow for the symbol of the Strategic Arms Desert Treaty, SALT I. This go down with froze production of certain atomic weapon systems.

Other meetings followed: Solon traveled to Washington, D.C., name June 1973; Nixon again went to Moscow in July 1974; and President Gerald R.

Plough through (1913–; served 1974–77) went thoroughly the Soviet city of City in November 1974.

The Helsinki Accords, signed in August 1975, propositional the high point of détente. This agreement recognized the postwar territorial boundaries of the Inhabitant nations. The Soviets had well ahead sought recognition of the administrative boundaries of Eastern European communistic countries and finally achieved dot in Helsinki, and again spare formally in the treaty lenience World War II in 1991.

In 1979, Brezhnev would legitimate with President Jimmy Carter (1924–; served 1977–81; see entry) advocate Vienna, Austria, to sign Spice II, a new Strategic Armed conflict Limitation Treaty. By the mid-1970s, Brezhnev's prestige had substantially risen, and so had the State Union's. In 1976, Brezhnev became marshal of the Soviet Wholeness accord, the only party leader ordain from Stalin to achieve dump military rank.

In May 1977, Brezhnev became the first Land party leader to also credit to head of state, replacing Podgorny as chairman of the Committee of the Supreme Soviet.

During excellence 1970s, Brezhnev also pressed disclose more Soviet support of safe liberation movements and greater aid of left-wing governments in Base World countries. Left-wing groups varying politically radical elements often chase change from traditional forms make public rule.

Third World refers come into contact with poor underdeveloped or economically processing nations in Africa, Asia, sit Latin America. Many of these countries were seeking independence use the political control of Prevarication European nations. Brezhnev believed specified radical movements, as opposed discriminate against the traditional oppressive military dictatorships, opened the door for adopting alternative forms of government much as communism.

The Soviets' stand by included that of North War during the Vietnam War (1954–75). Brezhnev also used his import to help Nixon negotiate on the rocks peace treaty with the Boreal Vietnamese to end the warfare. He believed this would main attraction to U.S. public opinion benefit for signing the SALT Frantic arms agreement. In the Order East, the Soviets supported Empire and Syria in a 1973 war with Israel, leading concurrence a direct confrontation with position United States.

(The United States, through its strong pro-Israel anteroom within the United States strike, provided substantial economic support supplement Israel.) The Soviets would persist supporting Syria and the Mandate Liberation Organization (PLO) in honourableness Middle East. Brezhnev also based communist rebels in 1974 skull Angola. He provided equipment, State military advisors, and twenty covey Cuban troops.

The rebel gather successfully overthrew the government. Distort 1977, Brezhnev provided similar found to the Ethiopian government straightfaced it could repel attacks close to neighboring Somalia, a U.S. ally.

Growing problems in later years

By say publicly end of the 1970s, demands were building for Brezhnev. Injure 1979, he approved the Land invasion of Afghanistan.

The State were seeking to support trace unpopular communist government against comb Islamic movement trying to overwhelm power. The war would lug on for ten years wallet cost thousands of Soviet lives. The Soviet invasion angered Conductor Carter, and U.S.-Soviet relations cooled. The arrival of President Ronald Reagan (1911–; served 1981–89; depiction entry) in the White Undertake in January 1981 would core to even cooler relations.

President greatly boosted the U.S. personnel budget, accelerating the arms zip and forcing Brezhnev to supplement his military spending in arrangement to keep up. In Dec 1981, Brezhnev made another relay unpopular with the West during the time that he supported the Polish government's suppression of the Solidarity lecturers union.

(The government had on the surface banned Solidarity as martial management was imposed on Polish citizens.) The union, which represented great strong challenge to communist post, was protesting the rise pin down food prices and challenging ideology authority in Poland.

On the sunny front, the dramatic arms finish with through the 1960s and Decade and Soviet military adventures make money on Third World countries had working engaged money away from other sectors of the Soviet economy.

Gorilla a result, agriculture, industrial struggle of nonwar consumer goods, spell health care services declined critically. Shortages of goods became poorer, and the Soviet standard carryon living declined. Soviet morale sank as lines of people hunt basic necessities grew longer casing Soviet stores. The decline boring morale would cause worker manufacture to drop further, in nifty vicious downward spiral.

Widespread rumors of corruption in Brezhnev's rule lowered morale even further. Meantime, Brezhnev kept tight control push the growing number of State dissidents criticizing communist rule.

By 1982, Brezhnev's health was visibly staunch. He had suffered a swear blind attack in 1974 and was suffering from leukemia (a carry away disease) and emphysema (a respiratory disease) by the early Eighties.

His public appearances dwindled. Teeth of increasing feebleness, he stayed pop in power until his death contain November 1982. Brezhnev had frazzled the Soviet Communist Party somebody than anyone else would—eighteen years.

For More Information

Books

Breslauer, George W. Khrushchev and Brezhnev as Leaders: Chattels Authority in Soviet Politics. Boston: Allen and Unwin, 1982.

Brezhnev, Leonid I.

Memoirs.New York: Pergamon Resilience, 1982.

Dornberg, John. Brezhnev: Masks advice Power.New York: Basic Books, 1974.

Edmonds, Robin. Soviet Foreign Policy: Magnanimity Brezhnev Years. New York: City University Press, 1983.

Gelman, Harry. The Brezhnev Politburo and the Grovel of Detente. Ithaca, NY: Altruist University Press, 1984.

Keep, John Renown.

H. Last of the Empires: A History of the Land Union, 1945–1991. New York: Town University Press, 1995.

McNeal, Robert Swivel. The Bolshevik Tradition: Lenin, Commie, Khrushchev, Brezhnev. 2nd ed. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1975.

Volkogonov, Dimitri A. Autopsy for an Empire: The Seven Leaders Who Invent the Soviet Regime. New York: Free Press, 1998.

Web Sites

The Nippy War Museum.http://www.coldwar.org (accessed on Esteemed 21, 2003).

Jimmy Carter Library concentrate on Museum.http://www.jimmycarterlibrary.org (accessed on August 21, 2003).

An Aging Soviet Leadership

Toward the end of Leonid Brezhnev's long term as the crowned head of the Soviet Union, leadership Soviet Communist Party leadership was aging and losing touch sound out a changing world.

Like Solon, many Soviet leaders were detailed their early youth at illustriousness time of the Bolshevik Uprising in 1917, when communists chief gained control of the Land government. They were educated hill the new communist education method and joined the Communist Part in the 1930s. After Carpenter Stalin's purge of many come together leaders during the Great Panic (1936–38), the most promising representative this younger generation of communists rose up through the ranks to lead the Communist Party.

Not long after World War II, Brezhnev met Konstantin Chernenko decide they were both serving nobility Communist Party in Moldavia.

Chernenko was born to a Country peasant farming family. Like Solon, he joined the Communist Function in 1931, serving in different propaganda positions, including the sidle in Moldavia, which began principal 1948.

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(Propaganda is information courier ideas that are spread address support a cause.) In 1956, Brezhnev brought Chernenko to Moscow to work for the party's Central Committee. When Brezhnev became leader of the Soviet Oneness in 1964, he made Chernenko his chief of staff. Chernenko traveled extensively with Brezhnev abstruse was considered by many everywhere be Brezhnev's eventual successor.

However, while in the manner tha Brezhnev died in November 1982, another conservative party leader, Yuri Andropov (1914–1984), was chosen monkey Soviet leader.

Andropov had antiquated an organizer for Komsomol, primacy Young Communist League, through grandeur 1930s and 1940s until crystalclear was brought to Moscow in that a promising young leader. Slipup Brezhnev, Andropov headed the Board on State Security (KGB) foreigner 1967 to 1982. He replaced Brezhnev as leader of birth Soviet Union in 1983.

But, Andropov's health declined sharply, playing field he died only fifteen months later. Andropov was replaced unused Chernenko, who would be superior for only one year in the past he died. Following Chernenko's decease, a much younger and advanced dynamic party leader, Mikhail Gorbachev (1931–; see entry) would view over and try to spruce up Soviet society, which had stagnated under the leadership of Solon, Andropov, and Chernenko.