Suny Chapter 19
What is Suny’s main point about Soviet society during the Brezhnev era?
Does Suny think that the USSR of the Brezhnev era had much in common with the goals of 1917? Explain. (See Daniels, "The Promise of the Brezhnev Era")
What was the main internal political goal of the Brezhnev leadership?
Who was Brezhnev? What does Suny tell us about his personality and career?
Did Brezhnev rule over the party as a dictator? Explain.
How does Suny explain the aims of Soviet involvement in the Vietnam conflict? Did they allow the Vietnam war to effect their relations with the US?
What signs of trouble had emerged in the Soviet economy by the late 1960s? (See Daniels, "The Promise of the Brezhnev Era")
What kinds of reforms had Prime Minister Kosygin supported in the mid-1960s? (What was at the core of the debate between "reformers" and "statists"?) (See Daniels, "The Attempt at Economic Reform--Liberman")
Why was Kosygin unable to make real economic reforms?
What sectors of the economy did Brezhnev favor, and how did Brezhnev want to pull the USSR out of its economic slump?
Was the Brezhnev leadership liberal on cultural matters? (See Daniels, "The End of the Thaw--The Sinyavsky-Daniel Trial")
Why did the Soviet Union intervene in Czechoslovakia in 1968? What was the impact on the Soviet Union’s image?
What events inspired dissidents in the USSR?
Were all dissidents anti-Soviet? What different "types" of dissidents does Suny discuss? (See Daniels, "Currents of Dissent")
How did the Brezhnev regime treat dissidents? (Give some examples.)
Did most Soviet citizens support the dissidents? Explain.
When and why did large numbers of intellectuals become dissatisfied with the Soviet regime?
What did the term "soft repression" mean (applied to the policies of KGB chief Andropov)?
What problems did Soviet agriculture face during the Brezhnev era? Explain.
When did Brezhnev emerge as the most powerful figure in the collective leadership?
How does Suny explain Brezhnev’s longevity?
Explain the point of the joke that ends the third paragraph on p. 436.
How did Soviet oil and gold wealth hinder economic reform?
How did Soviet society change during the Brezhnev era (e.g, population trends, standards of living, housing, economic differences, access to health care, life expectancy, infant mortality, education, etc.)? (See Daniels, "Soviet Consumerism")
Who were the elites in Soviet society in the 1970s?
According to Suny, what was the "bargain" between the state and society in the USSR, and did the Brezhnev regime keep its side in this bargain? (See Daniels, "Brezhnev's Constitution")
Why was the black market so important to daily life in the USSR?
What does Suny have to say about religion, and about family life, during the Brezhnev era?
Did Soviet relations with China improve under Brezhnev? Explain.
What was "détente"? When and why did it reach its peak?
Was détente good for the USSR? Explain.
When and why did détente break down?
Is it fair to say that third world countries fought the Cold War "for" the US and the USSR? Explain your position.
Why did the USSR move into Afghanistan in December 1979, and what were the results?
Why was the USSR facing a crisis in Poland in 1980-81?
In what sense was the USSR ready for change by 1982?