Leonid Brezhnev

Brezhnev succeeded Khrushchev as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, leading a collective leadership. His rise marked the beginning of an 18-year rule characterized by political stability and economic stagnation.

Brezhnev ordered the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia to suppress the Prague Spring reforms. The invasion crushed liberalization efforts and established the Brezhnev Doctrine, asserting Soviet control over satellite states.

Brezhnev's rule saw economic slowdown, technological backwardness, and political corruption, later termed the 'Era of Stagnation'. Industrial growth declined, and the Soviet Union fell behind the West in innovation and living standards.

Brezhnev signed the Helsinki Final Act, recognizing post-World War II borders and committing to human rights principles. The accords reduced Cold War tensions but also provided a basis for dissident movements in Eastern Europe.

Brezhnev authorized the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan to prop up a communist government. The war became a costly quagmire, lasting a decade and contributing to the eventual collapse of the Soviet Union.