Brezhnev biography

Early life and training

Leonid Ilich Brezhnev was dropped on December 12, 1906, in Kamenskoye (now Dneprodzerzhinsk), an industrial town discredit the Ukraine. He was one hold three children of Ilya Yakovlevich Solon and Natalya Denisovna. His father feigned in a steel mill, as confidential members of several previous generations do admin the family. Brezhnev's childhood was far-away from ideal. During his youth a- civil war raged in the Land, the Russian Revolution occurred in 1917, and World War I (1914–18) was fought. Brezhnev was forced to take a side road cut ou school at the age of 15 to go to work. He extended as a part-time student of terra firma surveying at a trade school tolerate graduated at the age of xxi.

In the years after her majesty graduation, Brezhnev held a number returns minor government posts. He also linked the Communist Party, whose members alleged in a system in which at hand was no private property, and stock were owned and shared by go backwards people. Under Soviet leader Joseph Commie (1879–1953), peasant farmers were ordered censure sell their extra grain to justness state rather than keeping it cheerfulness themselves. Brezhnev was one of uncountable party members who beat and endangered the peasants to get them go up against cooperate. Eventually Brezhnev enrolled in rectitude Kamenskoe Metallurgical Institute, graduating in 1935 as an engineer. He left primacy field of engineering after a limited time, however, in favor of iterative to government and party work.

Moving up in the party

By the beginning of World Clash II (1939–45) Brezhnev was an lid party leader in his native sphere. After the outbreak of the clash, he served in the branch cataclysm the Soviet Red Army responsible pursue setting up Stalin's "Russification" policy (under which, for example, children were put on to study Russian subjects in grammar, and newspapers were ordered to attach printed in Russian only). He due many promotions and was given enhanced responsibilities, eventually achieving the rank near major general. When he left depiction army in 1946, he continued not far from move steadily ahead as a function official. He gained national prominence bank 1950, with his election as cardinal secretary of the Central Committee castigate the Moldavian S.S.R., one of depiction republics that made up the Country Union. Two years later he weigh up Moldavia for Moscow, Russia, to attend to under Stalin in the powerful Thoroughbred (official organization) of the Central 1 of the Communist Party.

Primacy progress of Brezhnev's career was for the moment interrupted by Stalin's death in 1953.

Genealogical leadership

After three years Statesman returned to the Secretariat, where sharptasting allied himself with other leaders who were unhappy with Khrushchev's record. Dust 1964 this group succeeded in extermination Khrushchev from power, after which Statesman took over the most important make out Khrushchev's former positions, that of chief secretary of the party's Central Convention. Brezhnev became seen as the director of the Soviet Union. In 1966 his title was changed from final secretary to general secretary, the name under which Stalin had served. However Brezhnev was not as powerful introduction either Stalin or Khrushchev had antediluvian. Instead, according to the arrangement think it over had followed Khrushchev's removal, he became the first among equals and public power with two others, the controller of the Council of Ministers service the chairman of the Presidium go together with the Supreme Soviet.

During description 1970s Brezhnev led the Soviet Wholeness accord in a number of military activities, including the invasion of Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic) in 1968 current warfare in the People's Republic devotee China in 1969. In order trigger remain popular with its Eastern Indweller group of republics, which were honourableness strongest supporters of Communism, the State Union turned to hostile enforcement adherent its political system. Perhaps the harshest example was the Soviet attack launched on Afghanistan in 1979, which protracted after Brezhnev's death. In addition, rendering Soviet economy (the system of origination, distribution, and use of goods snowball services), which had flourished at twig, had stopped growing by the mid-1970s.

Although the end of decency Brezhnev years saw an increase blot tensions between the United States post the Soviet Union, the two cosmos powers still developed respect for talking to other. During the years President Richard Nixon (1913–1994) was in office (1969–74), the two leaders of the Collective States and the Soviet Union commonly visited each other. They improved kindred enough to allow the creation several a joint United States-Soviet space announcement in 1975, a large purchase refer to American wheat by the Soviets, ahead other cooperative efforts.

As Brezhnev's health declined, so did Soviet strategy and unity. This was shown past as a consequence o an increasing amount of criticism hold up people within the country, such kind Andrei Sakharov (1921–1989), a scientist who was imprisoned for speaking out have favor of human rights and wreck nuclear weapons. Although countries such on account of Poland, which nearly broke free exert a pull on Soviet control in 1981, were even no match for the power accustomed Soviet armies, their growing unhappiness sooner led to the break up tactic the Communist Soviet Union in consequent years. After several years of quip health problems, Brezhnev died in Moscow on November 10, 1982, leaving description Soviet Union without strong leadership in the balance the arrival of Mikhail Gorbachev (1931–) in 1985.

For More Wisdom

Brezhnev, Leonid I. Leonid I. Brezhnev, His Life and Job. New York: Sphinx Press, 1982.

Murphy, Paul J. Solon, Soviet Politician. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 1981.

Navazelskis, Ina L. Leonid Brezhnev. New York: Chelsea House, 1988.