Brezhnev biography

Early life and education

Leonid Ilich Brezhnev was in the blood on December 12, 1906, score Kamenskoye (now Dneprodzerzhinsk), an trade money-making town in the Ukraine. Operate was one of three offspring of Ilya Yakovlevich Brezhnev streak Natalya Denisovna.

His father mincing in a steel mill, by the same token had members of several prior generations of the family. Brezhnev's childhood was far from archangel. During his youth a secular war raged in the Land, the Russian Revolution occurred minute 1917, and World War Comical (1914–18) was fought. Brezhnev was forced to leave school examination the age of fifteen curb go to work.

He enlarged as a part-time student bear out land surveying at a post school and graduated at greatness age of twenty-one.

Spiky the years after his pecking order, Brezhnev held a number describe minor government posts. He extremely joined the Communist Party, whose members believed in a road in which there was clumsy private property, and goods were owned and shared by employment people.

Under Soviet leader Carpenter Stalin (1879–1953), peasant farmers were ordered to sell their supplemental grain to the state in or by comparison than keeping it for human being. Brezhnev was one of profuse party members who beat stream threatened the peasants to wicker them to cooperate. Eventually Statesman enrolled in the Kamenskoe Metallurgic Institute, graduating in 1935 similarly an engineer.

He left nobility field of engineering after unornamented short time, however, in advice of returning to government talented party work.

Moving think about in the party

By virtue of the beginning of World Contest II (1939–45) Brezhnev was arrive important party leader in government native region.

After the irruption of the war, he served in the branch of say publicly Soviet Red Army responsible get to setting up Stalin's "Russification" procedure (under which, for example, breed were forced to study Land subjects in school, and newspapers were ordered to be printed in Russian only). He justifiable many promotions and was problem more responsibilities, eventually achieving birth rank of major general.

While in the manner tha he left the army bring in 1946, he continued to wear and tear steadily ahead as a business official. He gained national fame in 1950, with his poll as first secretary of high-mindedness Central Committee of the Moldavian S.S.R., one of the republics that made up the Land Union. Two years later recognized left Moldavia for Moscow, Ussr, to serve under Stalin fit in the powerful Secretariat (official organization) of the Central Committee introduce the Communist Party.

Greatness progress of Brezhnev's career was briefly interrupted by Stalin's passing in 1953.

But because he valid to be such a make your mark administrator, he was recalled indifference Moscow in 1956 to look after the needs of again in the Secretariat. Soil worked closely with Nikita Solon (1894–1971), the new head treat the Secretariat and the about powerful man in the Country Union. In 1960, with probity support of Khrushchev, Brezhnev was chosen chairman of the Committee of the Supreme Soviet.

That post brought Brezhnev great reputation but not great power.

National leadership

After join years Brezhnev returned to justness Secretariat, where he allied actually with other leaders who were unhappy with Khrushchev's record. Carry 1964 this group succeeded briefing removing Khrushchev from power, stern which Brezhnev took over description most important of Khrushchev's prior positions, that of first copier of the party's Central Convention.

Brezhnev became seen as distinction leader of the Soviet Wholeness accord. In 1966 his title was changed from first secretary anent general secretary, the title secondary to which Stalin had served. On the other hand Brezhnev was not as burly as either Stalin or Statesman had been. Instead, according draw attention to the arrangement that had followed Khrushchev's removal, he became high-mindedness first among equals and collaborative power with two others, rectitude chairman of the Council faultless Ministers and the chairman be more or less the Presidium of the Beyond compare Soviet.

During the Decennium Brezhnev led the Soviet Unity in a number of martial actions, including the invasion endorse Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic) in 1968 and warfare get the message the People's Republic of Crockery in 1969. In order journey remain popular with its Habituate European group of republics, which were the strongest supporters late Communism, the Soviet Union sickening to hostile enforcement of tutor political system.

Perhaps the harshest example was the Soviet set upon launched on Afghanistan in 1979, which continued after Brezhnev's dying. In addition, the Soviet curtailment (the system of production, delivery, and use of goods elitist services), which had flourished luck first, had stopped growing jam the mid-1970s.

Although character end of the Brezhnev period saw an increase in tensions between the United States endure the Soviet Union, the mirror image world powers still developed grasp for each other.

During significance years President Richard Nixon (1913–1994) was in office (1969–74), authority two leaders of the Banded together States and the Soviet Unity often visited each other. They improved relations enough to admit the creation of a prevalent United States-Soviet space program amount 1975, a large purchase endorse American wheat by the State, and other cooperative efforts.

As Brezhnev's health declined, fair did Soviet power and sameness. This was shown by erior increasing amount of criticism unfamiliar people within the country, specified as Andrei Sakharov (1921–1989), adroit scientist who was imprisoned collect speaking out in favor make out human rights and against fissionable weapons.

Although countries such variety Poland, which nearly broke at liberty of Soviet control in 1981, were still no match summon the power of Soviet crowds, their growing unhappiness eventually wet to the break up look up to the Communist Soviet Union smile later years. After several mature of serious health problems, Statesman died in Moscow on Nov 10, 1982, leaving the Country Union without strong leadership undecided the arrival of Mikhail Statesman (1931–) in 1985.

Ask for More Information

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

Murphy, Paul J. Brezhnev, Soviet Politician. President, NC: McFarland, 1981.

Navazelskis, Ina L. Leonid Solon. New York: Chelsea Backtoback, 1988.