Mikhail Gorbachev, 1985-1991

Who was Mikhail Gorbachev?

Mikhail Gorbachev was a member of the Communist Party in the USSR. He was appointed general secretary of the Soviet Union in 1985, a post he held until its collapse in 1991.

When was Mikhail Gorbachev in power?

Gorbachev was leader from 1985 until 1991, when the Soviet Union collapsed.

What did Mikhail Gorbachev realise when he came to power?

Gorbachev realised 4 key things about the USSR:

• ❖ People were unhappy about, and distrustful of, the Soviet government.
• ❖ The USSR's economy was stagnating, with barely any industrial growth.
• ❖ People's standard of living was low and this was causing discontent and unrest.
• ❖ The Soviet Union was suffering because of the huge investment in weapons.

What were Mikhail Gorbachev's beliefs when he first came to power?

When Gorbachev came to power in 1985, he believed economic and political reform would solve the Soviet Union's problems and save communism. This led to the policies of 'perestroika' and 'glasnost'.

What were Mikhail Gorbachev's policies?

Gorbachev introduced 4 key new policies or reforms:

• ❖ Perestroika, which means 'restructuring' and was the term used by Gorbachev to refer to his economic reforms.
• ❖ Glasnost, which means 'openness'.
• ❖ He dropped the Brezhnev Doctrine which had controlled eastern Europe since 1968.
• ❖ He reduced arms spending and withdrew from Afghanistan.

What changes were there in eastern Europe under Mikhail Gorbachev's rule?

There were 4 major changes to the countries of the Eastern Bloc under Gorbachev.

• ❖ Gorbachev allowed Eastern bloc countries to have more of a say in how their governments were run.
• ❖ The Brezhnev Doctrine officially ended in December 1988 and was replaced by the 'Sinatra Doctrine'. Each country would be allowed to find its own path to socialism.
• ❖ Gorbachev focused on allowing openness in the Eastern Bloc, thinking this would lead to higher living standards.
• ❖ The USSR would no longer favour eastern Europe in trade, so they would buy goods from any country. It reduced the USSR's control over, and connection to, eastern Europe.