legacy understanding history late soviet_union successor requires assessment legacy general secretary communist_party soviet_union twice chairman leader death eighteen year reign recognised time social economic late soviet_union despite failures domestic reforms foreign affairs defence policies consolidated position ussr popularity waned years soviet people belief communism slowly away support continued evident eve death following death political led harsh criticism family soviet leader drew support communists soviet population criticising rule referred rule aside socio economic left nation heritage political personal values died left group leaders significantly older adult population historians largely agreed reign primarily poll taken percent people polled viewed era good russia immediate legacy died november elected chairman committee charge managing funeral according time magazine death majority soviet citizens world commentators saw proof successor general secretary political corruption grown considerably tenure major problem soviet_union economic development 1980s response initiated nationwide anti corruption campaign believed soviet economy possibly recover able increase social discipline workers regime criticised ideological self established slowly phased new recruits appointed party centre future premier chief soviet foreign policy gone years june death ronald_reagan classified soviet_union evil empire diplomatic stance away initiated new thinking support continued evident soviet people base support slowly soviet people remained wary concepts liberal democracy multi party systems remained leading belief country large military buildup 1960s soviet_union able consolidate rule family investigated exception arrested charges political corruption administration son law sentenced years prison charges large scale corruption december stripped state honours sent labour camp rest family lost state privileges city reverted old group soviet leadership wanted towns street factories institutions bearing actually carried authorities december soviet government issued decree stated town streets factories institutions like bearing revert according grandson curse family family members forced jobs friends deserted inflated role world war rescinded september era rule considered successful opinion measurement poll percent chose good percent picked good following dissolution soviet_union subsequent market reforms russians viewed era nostalgia missed stability era subsequently lost eras historical assessments historians expressed criticism rule scholarly literature dealing scarce exception period immediately death overwhelmingly negative little written english russian literature according authors attracted little attention media consensus rule formed shortly death literally rule primarily soviet leader initiated blamed degradation soviet economic political system called rule claimed followed fierce neo line later statement assurances bad saying like cartoon figure british historian wrote book russia century succeeded vigorous politician expected party government work effectively inactive entirely general turned ceremonial reign brought communism deepest contempt added hard feel sorry socio economic policies sent country successors able fully recover states book russia middle_east new foreign policy legacy generally unaffected weak successors afghanistan tension china japan prospect new dimension arms race united_states form strategic defence initiative star wars according historian book soviet_union prospects reform left successors soviet_union suffering host domestic foreign problems biggest obstacle according weakness economy undermined soviet influence outside borders considerably late relative technological author soviet internal decline mixed assessment reign notes era time lost opportunities admits economic growth years weakened rationale radical reform notes book created disillusioned leadership died book russia system argues gave country stability stability police state domestic external policies tried ensure status quo daniels believes reign separated parts starting ending status quo leadership building economy pursuing maintaining political home second phase began exactly opposite economy stopped growing collective leadership ended removal developed cult personality soviet_union started historians noted book legacy mixture achievements failures domestic foreign policy argue time death failures severe chronic systematic problems main achievements according foreign defence policies economy decline achievements long run note soviet_union able consolidate turn increased influence non communist world countries positive note argues reputation soviet leaders praised successful art soviet politics argues good politician framework soviet political system said wasn minus history country huge plus laid foundation country economics agriculture brown wrote book point view communist rulers era ways successful brown adds soviet_union reached rough united_states militarily early 1970s military sense world according brown era time tens millions soviet citizens lived peaceful predictable life hitherto people live fear opinion polls fared russian opinion polls compared successors predecessors west commonly remembered starting economic triggered dissolution soviet_union poll asked russians question given period positive negative country percent people polled viewed tenure positive negative predecessor trailed close earning percent poll september similarly chose period time 20th century ordinary people lived best having clear majority similar poll garnered majority according public opinion fund poll percent russian people viewed era good country poll showed majority russians choose live era period 20th century russian history researchers noted surge popularity communist rulers aftermath russian financial crisis remembered russians poverty comparing periods ussr best remembered stability prices income russians socio economic remembered west
Legacy of Leonid Brezhnev