The Soviet Union under Brezhnev (Paperback)

Virtually since it ended, the Brezhnev era has been dismissed as an era of stagnation and corruption when not a great deal happened. However, the author argues that historians can't simply dismiss more than twenty years of history of one of the world's leading powers. During this period the Soviet Union did undergo major social and economic change and these changes are the subject of this account. The approach is thematic rather than chronological, with part one examining politics and policy under Brezhnev, including chapters on leadership politics, domestic policy, and foreign policy; and part two looking at the economy and society, with chapters on economic performance, demographic and social change, and culture.  An introductory section contextualises the treatment by considering  the Soviet Union that Brezhnev inherited from Khruschev, while Brezhnev's legacy to his successors is examined in the concluding section.