Brezhnev Essay Plan Q:Evaluate the success of Brezhnev’s domestic policies (Specimen)

Question 1

Introduction

Answer 1

Underline period of control as Stagnation, advantges and disadvantges.

More failures then successes

Question 2

Thesis:

Answer 2

Calling it a success would be an exageration. Though, it was a failure there was the success of stablity

Question 3

Paragraph 1

Answer 3

Domestic policy failure:

Crackdown on reversing Khruschev post 1975 Helsinki agreement, undoing liberties given by Khruschev. EG; Andrei Sakahrov - nuclear physicist banished.

Exemplified in the

Prague Spring 1968 - violent 650,000 troops violent suppresion + brezhenv doctrine - do the same for anywhere

centralising power in Moscow vs Khruschev average age increase from 55 to 68 in 1981.

1976 no polices added

Question 4

Paragraph 2

Answer 4

Domestic failures as a result of economics

Agricultural stagnation, despite receving 27% investment, only yielded 16% of gdp but grain production increased from 2.2 M - 46 M by 1980

Technilogical backwardness, result of failure to innovate - by 1982 computing lagged 15 years behind the west, only 6-8% matched world standards.

Military spending: could not keep up with Americans, began to expend themselves 15% of economy and 60% of industry

Question 5

Paragraph 3

Answer 5

Domestic successes

Kosygin reform 1965 catalysed market oriented reforms -> increased autonomy. production increased 50% during 1966-1970 labor productivity rose 6.8% every year

Lead to oil production increase - even now they produce a lot of oil 64-82 Massive expansion of oil and gas production, Oil doubled from 265M tons in 1970 to 603M tons by 1980. Exporting oil created $22.7 Billion

Infrastructure development: BAM railway developed 3100km of railway & 20,000km of oil giving the massive land mass energy. Improved economic integration, access to remote resource areas

Question 6

Conclusion

Answer 6

Overall more failure then success due to stagnation - but there were small domestic success