Cold War Biographies | Leonid Brezhnev Biography

Born December 19, 1906
Kamenskoye, Ukraine
Died November 10, 1982
Moscow, Russia

General secretary of the
Soviet Communist Party

When chosen to succeed Nikita Khrushchev (1894–1971; see entry) as the leader of the Soviet Communist Party, Leonid Brezhnev was fifty-eight years old. Says author John L. Keep, in A History of the Soviet Union, 1945–1991: Last of the Empires, Brezhnev was "sturdily built, beetle-browed … a cheerful and sociable man who treated others courteously and had considerable charm. There was also a darker, more devious side to his character."

Apparently Brezhnev showed both his tough side and his charm early in his career in the Communist Party. He moved up through the party ranks swiftly while tackling challenging assignments. He would travel to rural areas to impose Soviet rule on peasants and replace local leaders...