Leonid Brezhnev was a Soviet politician who served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1964 until 1982 and as the country's leader during a significant part of the Cold War. His tenure is marked by a period of political stability, economic stagnation, and a focus on military buildup, as well as the doctrine of "peaceful coexistence" with the West. Brezhnev's administration is often associated with the Brezhnev Doctrine, which justified Soviet intervention in other socialist countries. He died in 1982, leaving a complex legacy in Soviet and world history.