The history of the Soviet Union is a complex and heterogeneous historical phenomenon, when the period is characterized not by objective reasons for the development of the state, but by the personal characteristics of the ruler. A special milestone in Soviet historiography is the era of stagnation. This stage is associated with the reign of General Secretary Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev and is characterized by gerontocracy - the power of the elders.
The Brezhnev era
In 1964 there was another change in the leadership of the Soviet Union. The current secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU, Nikita Sergeevich Khrushchev, was removed from his post in connection with the accusation of voluntarism. He was replaced by war hero Leonid Brezhnev.
Historians disagree on the significance of the Brezhnev era. Some say that it was the "golden time of the USSR", while others mercilessly scold the first General Secretary of the Soviet Union for creating the prerequisites for the collapse of the state. The only President of the USSR, Mikhail Sergeevich Gorbachev, described thisperiod as an era of stagnation.
Gerontocracy in the USSR
Irremovability of power in the late period of the Soviet Union is a textbook example. Gerontocracy is a term denoting a method of administrative management, in which the apparatus is conserved, a policy of personnel irremovability is implemented. The continuation of such a course leads to the decline and backwardness of the state.
It is important to note that the main prerequisite for the formation of gerontocracy is the weakening of the country's regime. During the reign of Joseph Stalin in the country there were constant executions of employees of the administrative apparatus, which contributed to the active rotation of personnel. As a result of the active process of de-Stalinization in society and in the state apparatus, there was a reassessment of values and removals from positions began to occur less and less.
People began to decipher the abbreviation of the USSR as "Country of the Oldest Leaders".
Characteristic of the "era of stagnation"
Speaking of the Brezhnev period of rule, it is necessary to highlight a number of key characteristics:
1. Political conservation of the ruling regime.
During the 20 years of Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev's reign, the country's administrative apparatus has not changed. Gerontocracy is a characteristic feature of the irremovability of power in the late period of the Soviet Union. The average age of members of the Politburo was 60-70 years, which meant life-long positions in the state apparatus. The meetings of the members of the Politburo took no more than 15-20 minutes a day due to the ill he alth of many of them.members.
Under the slogan of ensuring stability in the state, political stagnation began to rapidly occur. People who were in power for a long time could not objectively look at the political and social changes in the situation. This was largely the main reason for the collapse of the USSR.
2. Active development of the military sphere.
The active phase of the Cold War fell on the Brezhnev era, when the situation in the world was heating up every day. In this regard, the primary task of the authorities was to ensure the security of the country by increasing the military potential. During this historical period, various types of weapons were being developed in the Soviet Union.
3. The economic decline of the country.
Stagnation is observed in both the political and economic life of society in the 70s. The USSR is gradually reducing the pace of its development and exists only on the money from the sale of oil. However, in 1973, the world economic crisis occurs, which largely brought down the economy of the Soviet state.
In the field of agricultural policy, there was also a negative trend. The yield loss was about 30%, which was a huge figure for the USSR. This was largely due to the fact that an active increase in the urban population began. A food crisis has begun in the country. This was especially true for the territories of Ukraine and Kazakhstan, since agriculture was the main activity in these regions.
Household gerontocracy
The power of the elderscarried out not only in the highest state bodies, but also in everyday life. Household gerontocracy is a process in society when the privileges of the elders were greatly overestimated compared to their children and grandchildren. For example, the wages of young people were significantly lower than the pensions of old people. This set the stage for social destabilization in the country.
