Leonid Brezhnev (jan 1, 1964 – jan 1, 1982)
Description:
Under Brezhnev rule, relations with China continued to deteriorate. Brezhnev supported the North Vietnamese in the Vietnam War, and in January 1969, a Soviet Army officer tried to assassinate Brezhnev. The highlight of the Brezhnev's reign was the easing of tensions or "detente" era, and the signing of the Helsinki Act in 1975; which recognized the postwar frontiers in Eastern and Central Europe, and effectively legitimized Soviet domination over the region. During the 1970s, the Soviet Union reached the peak of its strategic and world power due to the fact the SALT I treaty established parity in nuclear weapons between Russia and the United States. The Soviet Union extended its political influence in the Middle East and Africa. It also successfully intervened in the 1975 civil war in Angola. The last years of Brezhnev's rule were marked by a growing personality cult, albeit different from Stalin's. The Brezhnev cult was generally seen as cynical, gaining strength with an absence of fear. His unfortunate legacy to his successors was the decision to intervene in Afghanistan in 1979. This maneuver resulted in the sudden close of the detente years, and the subsequent grain embargo of the United States.
Added to timeline:
Cold War Timeline
IB History HL 2
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