Leonid Brezhnev was leader of the Soviet Union for almost two decades when it was at the height of its powers. This book is a long overdue reappraisal of Brezhnev the man and the system over which he ruled. By incorporating much of the new material available in Russian, it challenges the received wisdom about the Brezhnev years, and provides a fascinating insight into the life and times of one of the twentieth century's most neglected political leaders.

The Soviet Union Under Brezhnev provides an accessible post-Soviet perspective on the history of the USSR from the mid-1960’s to the mid-1980’s. It challenges both the ‘evil empire’ image of the USSR that was widespread in the early 1980’s and the ‘stagnation’ label attached to the period by Soviet reformers under Gorbachev. The book makes use of a range of memoirs, interviews, archival documents and other sources not available before 1990 to place Brezhnev and his epoch in a broader historical context. The author: examines high politics, foreign policy and policy making explores broader social, cultural and demographic trends presents a picture of Soviet society in the crucial decades prior to the upheavals and crises of the late 1980’s While stopping well short of a full-scale rehabilitation of Brezhnev, Tompson rejects the prevailing image of the Soviet leader as a colourless non-entity, drawing attention to Brezhnev’s real political skills, as well as his faults, and to the systemic roots of many of the problems he faced.

Collection of essays evolved from a series of lectures given at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, during 1968.

Beginning with Brezhnev era, the author follows the course and development of Soviet leadership--examining the elements of continuity as well as change. He zeroes in on each individual leader and analyzes the economic, social, and international issues faced by each. For instance, Kelly sets the stage for Andropov's succession, discusses strategies for his succession, details Andropov's rise to power, presents the premier's time in power, and finally examines Andropov's decline. Along with pinpointing individual instances of leadership, the author covers the role of the Communist party within Soviet politics, including the theory of party leadership and the reality of bureaucratic and administrative reform. He also discusses options for the new leadership, Soviet economy, class and social structure, and foreign policy.