Leonid Brezhnev Doctrine

The Brezhnev Doctrine was a policy established by the Soviet Union in 1968 asserting that, if a socialist country within the Eastern Bloc sought to leave or challenge Soviet influence, the USSR had the right to intervene militarily to maintain Communist control. It was a justification for suppressing reforms or protests in other Soviet-aligned countries to preserve the unity of the socialist system, emphasizing the USSR's authority over its allies and opposition to Western influence during the Cold War.