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Brezhnev Doctrine
The Brezhnev Doctrine was the Soviet policy (articulated after the 1968 invasion of Czechoslovakia) asserting Moscow's right to intervene militarily in any socialist state where socialism was deemed under threat. It effectively limited the sovereignty of all Warsaw Pact members until renounced by Gorbachev in 1988.
Brezhnev Doctrine
Soviet foreign policy doctrine (from 1968) asserting the right to intervene militarily in any socialist state where socialism was threatened. Used to justify the invasion of Czechoslovakia (1968) and later Afghanistan (1979).
Congress of People's Deputies
A new Soviet legislative body created in 1989 as part of Gorbachev's demokratizatsiya reforms. It featured partially competitive elections and became a platform for reformers and nationalists to challenge Communist Party authority publicly for the first time.
Gerontocracy
A system of government in which the rulers are significantly older than the general population. In the Soviet context, it refers to the ageing Politburo leadership of the late Brezhnev era, when the average age of senior officials exceeded 70.
Glasnost
Policy of openness that encouraged free discussion and criticism of government actions.