Leonid Brezhnev

Leonid Brezhnev Леонид Брежнев
Brezhnev in 1972
General Secretar o the Central Committee o the Communist Pairty o the Soviet Union
In office 14 October 1964 – 10 November 1982
Precedit bi	Nikita Khrushchev
Succeedit bi	Yuri Andropov
Chairman o the Presidium o the Supreme Soviet o the Soviet Union
In office 16 Juin 1977 – 10 November 1982
Precedit bi	Nikolai Podgorny
Succeedit bi	Yuri Andropov
In office 7 Mey 1960 – 15 Julie 1964
Precedit bi	Kliment Voroshilov
Succeedit bi	Anastas Mikoyan
Personal details
Born	Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev 19 December 1906(1906-12-19) Kamenskoye, Yekaterinoslav Govrenorate, Roushie Empire
Dee'd	10 November 1982(1982-11-10) (aged 75) Zarechye, near Moscow, Roushie SFSR, Soviet Union
Restin place	Kremlin Waw Necropolis, Moscow
Ceetizenship	Soviet
Naitionality	Roushie
Poleetical pairty	Communist Pairty o the Soviet Union
Spoose(s)	Viktoria Brezhneva
Bairns	Galina Brezhneva Yuri Brezhnev
Residence	Zarechye, near Moscow
Profession	Metallurgical ingineer, ceevil servant
Awairds	(Full leet o awairds an decorations)
Signatur
Militar service
Allegiance	Soviet Union
Service/brainch	Reid Army Soviet Airmy
Years o service	1941–1982
Rank	Marshal of the Soviet Union (1976–1982)
Commands	Soviet Armed Forces
Battles/wars	World War II

Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev (Roushie: Леони́д Ильи́ч Бре́жнев; Ukrainian: Леоні́д Іллі́ч Бре́жнєв, 19 December 1906 (O.S. 6 December) – 10 November 1982) wis the General Secretar o the Central Committee (CC) o the Communist Pairty o the Soviet Union (CPSU), presidin ower the kintray frae 1964 till his daith in 1982. His aichteen-year term as General Secretar wis seicont anly tae that o Joseph Stalin in duration. In Brezhnev's rule, the global influence o the Soviet Union grew dramatically, in pairt acause o the expansion o the Soviet militar in this time. His tenur as leader wis merked bi the beginnin o an era o economic an social stagnation in the Soviet Union.

Brezhnev wis born in Kamenskoye, Roushie Empire (nou Kamianske, Ukraine), intae a Roushie wirker's faimily in 1906. Efter graduatin frae the Dniprodzerzhynsk Metallurgical Technicum, he becam a metallurgical ingineer in the airn an steel industry, in Ukraine. He jyned the Komsomol in 1923 an becam an active member o the CPSU bi 1929. Wi the onset o Warld War II, he wis drauchtit intae immediate militar service an left the airmy in 1946 wi the rank o major general. In 1952, Brezhnev wis promotit tae the Central Committee an, in 1957 tae full member o the Politburo. In 1964, he succeedit Nikita Khrushchev as First Secretar o the Communist Pairty o the Soviet Union.

As the leader o the Soviet Union, Brezhnev's conservatism an carefuness tae reach deceesions bi consensus wi the rest o the Politburo resultit in susteened poleetical stability within the kintra. Houiver, his hosteelity taewart reform an active cultivation o cronyism ushered in a period o pervasive corruption an socioeconomic decline that cam tae be kent as the Brezhnev Stagnation. On the warld stage, Brezhnev pushed haurd for the adoption o détente, a commitment bi baith twa superpouers taewart the relaxation o Cauld War tensions an economic cooperation. Despite sic diplomatic gesturs, Brezhnev's regime presidit ower a hawkish foreign policy chairacterised bi widespreid militar interventionism an an airms bigup that ultimately compreesed 12.5% o the naition's GNP. Ultimately, in December 1981, he optit nae tae hae the Soviet militar suppress unrest in Poland tharebi merkin the end o the interventionist Brezhnev Doctrine.

Efter years o declinin heal, Brezhnev dee'd on 10 November 1982 an wis quickly succeedit in his post as General Secretar bi Yuri Andropov. Brezhnev haed fostered a cult o personality, awtho nae nearly tae the same degree as Stalin. Mikhail Gorbachev, that wad lead the USSR frae 1985 tae 1991, denoonced his legacy an drove the process o leeberalisation o the Soviet Union.