Gorbachev’s rise was quick
and was touted as the representative of young communist leader
and the likely head of the USSR as early as the early 1980s by
the Western newspapers. Gorbachev became the head of Soviet Russia
in 1988. Once in power, Gorbachev attempted to reform the Soviet
policy, by aligning with the United States. It was the policy shifts
administered under the leadership of Gorbachev that radically put
an end to the political clout enjoyed by the Communist Party of
the Soviet Union and eventually led to the collapse of USSR. The
world politics that was overwhelmed by the Cold War was thus rid
clear of the policies of hatred and mutual suspicion and Gorbachev’s
place is right at the centre for overseeing the smoothening of
relations. For his contributions, Mikhail Gorbachev was decorated
with the Nobel Prize for peace in 1990.Gorbachev, while in the
Polit Bureau undertook journeys around the world. These journeys
influenced his views and ideals profoundly and led him to adopt
policies that would reorient Soviet policies drastically. |
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Under his leadership, the famous policies
of ‘glasnost’ meaning openness, ‘perestroika’ standing
for restructuring, ‘demokratizatsiya’ or democratisation
and ‘uskoreniye’ which means acceleration of economic
development were adopted. These policies were aimed at revitalizing
the Soviet economy that was in a stagnant state throughout the
1980s. Gorbachev had initiated the process of reform at the domestic
level in an attempt to revamp agriculture and industry through
the means of modern technology. For this, Gorbachev and his associates
in the government had begun with replacing the old bureaucracy
with young and fresh talent. However, within a short span of time,
Gorbachev realized that for all these policies to come to fruition,
a paradigm shift in terms of the polity and social structure of
USSR was needed. Thus came into force the policies of openness
and restructuring. In addition to this, Gorbachev attempted to
maintain friendly relations with other foreign countries. Gorbachev
initiated certain military policies aimed at controlling the arms
race, withdrawing the Soviet army from various outposts across
the world and, in particular, cutting down the accumulation of
nuclear arsenal.
By the beginning of 1990s, Gorbachev saw himself surrounded by
crisis as there was a resurgence of nationalist forces demanding
for secession of the countries that were part of the Soviet Republic.
Boris Yeltsin, a more radical reformist who would later replace
Gorbachev came to be at the helm of affairs. After his resignation,
Gorbachev is involved in various social activities and was also
trying to return to Russian politics.
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