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Leonid Brezhnev Quotes

Leonid Brezhnev
  • Mini Bio
  • Name: Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev
  • Born: 19th December 1906, Kamenskoye, Yekaterinoslav Governorate, Russian Empire
  • Died: 10th November 1982, Zarechye, Odintsovsky, Soviet Union
  • Resting place: Kremlin Wall Necropolis, Moscow
  • Citizenship: Russian Empire and Soviet Union
  • Alma mater: Kamenskoye Metallurgical Technicum
  • Occupation: Politician and fifth leader of the Soviet Union
  • Political party: Communist Party of the Soviet Union
  • Married to: Viktoria Brezhneva
  • Height: 5' 8" (1.73 m)
  • Trivia: After his death in 1982 the city of Naberezhnye Chelny was renamed "Brezhnev" in the former Soviet leaders honour, however the re-naming was short lived because in the subsequent era of Perestroika in 1988 the city regained its old name Naberezhnye Chelny as part of a distancing the new regime from its former Soviet past

"Renegades should not expect to get away unpunished. The country's enemies clutch with great tenacity at any manifestations of ideological immaturity or hesitation among the intellectual"

Leonid Brezhnev

"All fighters for socialism believe that the main aspect of the national question is unification of the working people, regardless of their national origin, in the common struggle against every type of oppression"

Leonid Brezhnev

"The substance of socialist democracy lies in efficient socialist organisation of all society for the sake of every individual, and in the socialist discipline of every individual for the sake of all society"

Leonid Brezhnev

"The Soviet Union does not look for advantages, does not hunt for concessions, does not seek political domination and is not after military bases"

Leonid Brezhnev

"The defeat of Nazi Germany signified the victory of progress over reaction, humanity over barbarism and the victory of socialism over imperialist obscurantism"

Leonid Brezhnev

"We want the world socialist system to be a well-knit family of nations, building and defending the new society together"

Leonid Brezhnev

"Today progress is so swift in all fields that the education received by young people is only a foundation that requires the constant acquisition of knowledge"

Leonid Brezhnev

"The rout of fascism, in which the Soviet Union played the decisive role, generated a mighty tide of socio-political changes which swept across the globe"

Leonid Brezhnev

"Detente is a readiness to resolve differences and conflicts not by force, not by threats and sabre-rattling, but by peaceful means, at the conference table"

Leonid Brezhnev

"We are entirely for the idea that Europe shall be free from nuclear weapons .... That would be a real zero option"

Leonid Brezhnev

"Every man must be made to realize that further retreat is impossible ... The Nazi troops must be stopped now"

Leonid Brezhnev

"The highest peace is the peace between opposites"

Leonid Brezhnev

"Only he who has decided to commit suicide can start a nuclear war in the hope of emerging a victor from it"

Leonid Brezhnev

"There is nothing more practical than a good theory"

Leonid Brezhnev

"Soviet people are better off materially and richer spiritually"

Leonid Brezhnev

"We Communists have to string along with the capitalists for a while. We need their agriculture and their technology"

Leonid Brezhnev

"It is madness for any country to build its policy with an eye to nuclear war"

Leonid Brezhnev

"I will take the flag off the car, put on dark glasses, so they can't see my eyebrows"

Leonid Brezhnev

"If they are poking fun at me, it means they like me"

Leonid Brezhnev

"God will not forgive us if we fail"

Leonid Brezhnev
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Leonid Brezhnev Biography

Leonid Brezhnev was the man with the iron eyebrows who led the Soviet Union for 18 years through what was arguably their greatest era and ultimately the start of their decline. A son of the Russian revolution he looked on with curious admiration as a boy at the events of 1917 that inspired him to join the communist youth party in 1923 and just before a time of great upheaval in the Soviet Union he joined the main party in 1929.

It was the era of the dictator Joseph Stalin and his political purges of the mid to late 1930's that led to unexpected opportunities for advancement in the communist party and he was at the right age at the right time without the reputation that would put him him the category that Stalin would deem a threat, so he advanced quicker than he could ever have imagined.

During WW2 he was drafted to a political army position in the Caucasus under Nikita Khrushchev who he had previously met at communist meetings during the 1930's. He quickly impressed and got promoted to the head of the Political Department of the 18th Army. This was the beginning of a long professional relationship with Khrushchev who had designs on the Soviet leadership as Stalin was growing older and needed a strong and loyal support group of communists behind him.

In an ironic twist of political manoeuvering Brezhnev conspired and was responsible for the downfall of his mentor in the early 1960's and just as the iron curtain looked like softening under the reforms of Khrushchev it took a backward step as comrade Leonid took hold of the levers of Soviet power in 1964.

On the home front his first ten years were the pinnacle of domestic bliss in the whole of the Soviet era but economic distress was on the horizon in the mid 1970's as the country was at the forefront of the arms race at the expense of the peoples stomachs. As the decade progressed comrade Brezhnev started to become a caricature picture of political parody as his policies lost pace with the progression of the world while his speeches maintained the equilibrium of the communist dream.

Then there were the cars and the medals, western leaders used to gift him expensive cars which he readily accepted as his collection of marque automobiles would draw jealous glances from the most bourgeois of capitalists whilst he wore his 100 plus medals that were mostly "awarded" to him by his own comrade cronies.

His first 10 years are still looked upon as the golden era of Soviet rule so it could be argued that he was successful but guilty of staying too long. Either way he was good for a one liner so here is my compilation of 20 of the best Leonid Brezhnev quotes

Quotes About Leonid Brezhnev

The eminent Russian diplomat Dmitry Peskov recognised his comrades contribution to the country by saying: "Brezhnev wasn’t a minus for the history of our country, he was a huge plus, He laid a foundation for the country’s economics and agriculture"

The Shah of Iran Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was quoted to say: "All ideological differences set apart, I cannot help having a sincere admiration for Mr Brezhnev"

Ronald Reagan got caught in a moment of deep reflection as he called him: "One of the world's most important figures for nearly two decades"

The Prime Minister of India Indira Gandhi in 1982 spoke quite succinctly of him when she recalled: "He stood by us in our moment of need"


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