The Soviet Union, Part 2 of 2
Short History Of...
The Early Brezhnev Years
There was a sense of particularly in the elite and younger generations that life is too constrained, that things are boring. The oil boom papers over the cracks, but there's a distinct absence of a grand plan to take the next step economically. Most industries lack innovation and efficiency, despite exceptions like the defense and space sectors. There are signs that the rise in consumerism is not fueling greater personal satisfaction, but actually fostering disappointment. A marked rise in alcoholism is great enough to dent the national life expectancy. Relations with the US remain poor, with the geopolitical rivalry still playing out in space. In 1978, he sends troops to Afghanistan to prop up its communist regime against Muja Hadin Islamic rebels.
