Definition

Proper noun: * Leonid Brezhnev: A Soviet political leader who served as the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and later as the Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet (the head of state). His tenure from 1964 to 1982 is associated with a period of political and economic stagnation in the USSR, an intense arms race with the United States, and the doctrine of limited sovereignty for Soviet satellite states.

Usage Examples

• Proper noun:
  • Leonid Brezhnev led the Soviet Union for nearly two decades.
  • The policy of détente was pursued during the era of Leonid Brezhnev.
  • Historians often refer to the period of Leonid Brezhnev's rule as the "Era of Stagnation."

Advanced Usage

• The Brezhnev Era/Doctrine: This term refers specifically to the period of his leadership and its associated policies, particularly the Brezhnev Doctrine which asserted the right of the Soviet Union to intervene in the affairs of allied socialist countries.
  • The invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968 was justified under the Brezhnev Doctrine.

Variants and Related Words

• Brezhnevite (adj/noun): Pertaining to or a supporter of the policies or era of Leonid Brezhnev.
  • The Brezhnevite leadership resisted economic reforms.

Synonyms

• Soviet Leader
• General Secretary (context-specific)
• Communist Statesman

Noun

1. Soviet statesman who became president of the Soviet Union (1906-1982)