Changes

Aleksey Kosygin became Chairman of the Council of Ministers, and [[Leonid Brezhnev]] was made First Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee in 1964. In 1971, Brezhnev rose to become "first among equals" in a collective leadership.  

Aleksey Kosygin became Chairman of the Council of Ministers, and [[Leonid Brezhnev]] was made First Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee in 1964. In 1971, Brezhnev rose to become "first among equals" in a collective leadership.  

The Brezhnev era is known as the Years of Stagnation, while the collective [[Marxist]] leadership continued the manufacture and export of conventional weapons to "oppressed" malcontents globally with the stated aim of overthrowing [[bourgeois]] and [[imperialist]] governments worldwide, while sacrificing domestic economic development. Living standards scarcely improved while the [[free market]] and profit motive remained banned. Corruption, the [[blackmarket]], and an unholy alliance between the [[KGB]] and local [[mafia]] groups, who smuggled and traded in foreign goods, flourished. The communist corruption of society, culture, and government engendered during this era has survived in the post-Soviet era through fraudulent accounting practices, bribery, kickbacks, tax evasion and ethical compromises being commonplace and considered necessary to survive.  

The Brezhnev era is known as the Years of Stagnation, while the collective [[Marxist]] leadership continued the manufacture and export of conventional weapons to "oppressed" malcontents globally with the stated aim of overthrowing [[bourgeois]] and [[imperialist]] governments worldwide, while sacrificing domestic economic development. Living standards scarcely improved while the [[free market]] and profit motive remained banned. Corruption, the [[blackmarket]], and an unholy alliance between the [[KGB]] and local [[mafia]] groups, who smuggled and traded in foreign goods, flourished. The communist corruption of society, culture, and government engendered during this era has survived in the post-Soviet era through fraudulent accounting practices, bribery, kickbacks, tax evasion and ethical compromises being commonplace and acceptable, and considered necessary to survive.  

Brezhnev died in 1982 and was succeeded by [[Yuri Andropov]] (1982–84) and [[Konstantin Chernenko]] (1984-85).

Brezhnev died in 1982 and was succeeded by [[Yuri Andropov]] (1982–84) and [[Konstantin Chernenko]] (1984-85).