Changes

==Background==

==Background==

Brezhnev was born on December 19, 1906 in Kamenskoye, now Kamianske, Ukraine.

Brezhnev was born on December 19, 1906, in Kamenskoye, now Kamianske, Ukraine.

Brezhnev's admiration for [[Western civilization|Western culture]], especially music, was well-known.

Brezhnev's admiration for [[Western civilization|Western culture]], especially music, was well-known.

===Brezhnev Doctrine===

===Brezhnev Doctrine===

In 1968 elements of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia rapidly began to reform their rule, loosen censorship, and strengthen Western ties. In response, Soviet and other [[Warsaw Pact]] troops entered Czechoslovakia and installed a new regime.  Brezhnev announced, "Now the situation in brotherly Czechoslovakia is completely [[Psychological_warfare#Normalization|normalized]]."  Out of these events arose the so-called Brezhnev Doctrine, which warned that the Soviet Union would act to maintain its hegemony in Eastern Europe. Soviet suppression of the reform movement reduced blatant gestures of defiance on the part of Romania and served as a threatening example to the Polish Solidarity trade union movement in 1980. But it also helped disillusion communist parties in Western Europe to the extent that by 1977 most of the leading parties embraced Eurocommunism, which freed them to pursue political programs independent of Moscow's dictates.

In 1968 elements of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia rapidly began to reform their rule, loosen censorship, and strengthen Western ties. In response, Soviet and other [[Warsaw Pact]] troops entered Czechoslovakia and installed a new regime.  Brezhnev announced, "Now the situation in brotherly Czechoslovakia is completely [[Psychological warfare#Normalization|normalized]]."  Out of these events arose the so-called Brezhnev Doctrine, which warned that the Soviet Union would act to maintain its hegemony in Eastern Europe. Soviet suppression of the reform movement reduced blatant gestures of defiance on the part of Romania and served as a threatening example to the Polish Solidarity trade union movement in 1980. But it also helped disillusion communist parties in Western Europe to the extent that by 1977 most of the leading parties embraced Eurocommunism, which freed them to pursue political programs independent of Moscow's dictates.

==Later years and death==

==Later years and death==

The Brezhnev years are known as the [[Era of Stagnation]] and marked by rampant corruption.  He was reported to have died in 1978, but Soviet doctors resuscitated him and his cognitive abilities never quite returned. In his final years, as his mental faculties failed, a common joke circulated about him and his chief-of-staff [[Konstantin Chernenko]]: "Brezhnev is dead, only Chernenko hasn't informed him yet."  He died November 10, 1982 and was succeeded by [[Yuri Andropov]] for 15 months until Andropov, who then was succeeded by Chernenko for 13 months until Chernenko died, who then was succeed by [[Mikhail Gorbachev]] for six years until the Soviet Union died.

The Brezhnev years are known as the [[Era of Stagnation]] and marked by rampant corruption.  He was reported to have died in 1978, but Soviet doctors resuscitated him and his cognitive abilities never quite returned. In his final years, as his mental faculties failed, a common joke circulated about him and his chief-of-staff [[Konstantin Chernenko]]: "Brezhnev is dead, only Chernenko hasn't informed him yet."  He died November 10, 1982, and was succeeded by [[Yuri Andropov]] for 15 months until Andropov, who then was succeeded by Chernenko for 13 months until Chernenko died, who then was succeed by [[Mikhail Gorbachev]] for six years until the Soviet Union died.

==References==

==References==