Slide 1Slide 2Slide 3Slide 4Slide 5Slide 6Slide 7Slide 8Slide 9THE BREZHNEV ERATHE BREZHNEV ERATHE BURDEN OF GLOBAL POWER Great drain on Soviet economy Military & Arms build-up Arms had to be internationally competitive “Détente” with West Nuclear arms controlTHE BREZHNEV ERATHE 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 costlyPolish Strikers – 1977THE BREZHNEV ERADISSENT Literary Dissent movements Democratic (Scientific) Religious Non-Russian nationalist Great Russian nationalistAlexander SolzhenystinAndrei SakharovJewish “Refuseniks”THE BREZHNEV ERADISSENT Letters and petitions Dissidence SAMIZDAT publication Human rights committees Defection & Radio LibertyTHE BREZHNEV ERADISSENT Arrests & show trials Response of Regime Forced exile Incarceration in mental institutionsA. SinyavskyY. Daniel Strict censorship & control of intellectual activityTHE END Brezhnev’s death long anticipated Increasingly infirm & senile Died Nov. 10, 1982THE BREZHNEV ERAINTERREGNUMBREZHNEV’S SUCCESSORS Succeeded by IURII ANDROVPOV, 1982 Former head of KGB Attempted limited reform But died after only 15 months in officeINTERREGNUM Next leader = KONSTANTIN CHERNENKO, 1984 Brezhnev protégé Even older & sicker than Andropov In absence, MIKHAIL GORBACHEV took on many leadership dutiesBREZHNEV’S
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