THE BREZHNEV ERA

THE BURDEN OF GLOBAL POWER  Great drain on Soviet economy  Military & Arms build-up  Arms had to be internationally competitive  “Détente” with West  Nuclear arms control

THE BREZHNEV ERA THE BURDEN OF GLOBAL POWER  New emphasis on human rights  The Rise of Discontent  Growing shortages, lengthening lines  Increasing problems in Eastern Europe  Invasion of Afghanistan very costly Polish Strikers – 1977

THE BREZHNEV ERA DISSENT  Literary  Dissent movements  Democratic (Scientific)  Religious  Non-Russian nationalist  Great Russian nationalist Alexander Solzhenystin Andrei Sakharov Jewish “Refuseniks”

THE BREZHNEV ERA DISSENT  Letters and petitions  Dissidence  SAMIZDAT publication  Human rights committees  Defection & Radio Liberty

THE BREZHNEV ERA DISSENT  Arrests & show trials  Response of Regime  Forced exile  Incarceration in mental institutions A. Sinyavsky Y. Daniel  Strict censorship & control of intellectual activity

THE END  Brezhnev’s death long anticipated  Increasingly infirm & senile  Died Nov. 10, 1982 THE BREZHNEV ERA

INTERREGNUM BREZHNEV’S SUCCESSORS  Succeeded by IURII ANDROVPOV, 1982  Former head of KGB  Attempted limited reform  But died after only 15 months in office

INTERREGNUM  Next leader = KONSTANTIN CHERNENKO, 1984  Brezhnev protégé  Even older & sicker than Andropov  In absence, MIKHAIL GORBACHEV took on many leadership duties BREZHNEV’S SUCCESSORS