Mikhail Gorbachev

The economy of the Soviet Union was falling behind that of other major industrialized nations.
PLATO<3
~one love

He offered citizens more personal freedoms, resulting in widespread protests that weakened communist countries.

I'll do my best : Gorbachev comes across, in retrospect, as a realist. He did what he did, as he saw it for the benefit of Russia. I don't think he gave up the Soviet control of eastern Europe for the benefit of thre peoples therein, I think he did this because he saw that that was in the interests of Russia. Maintaining forces in the occupied states was a luxury Russia could no longer afford. If Russia was to free its post war image of the USSR as a totalitarian state then something had to give. No, I don't see him as subversive, it is difficult to separate what he did from the subsequent Yeltsyn regime, but it was Gorbachev who broke the mould. If you look now at the state that Putin has dominated over recent years it is obviously different from what Gorbachev inherited. As I say relinquishing powers the Soviets had in eastern Europe was a good thing from the point of view of the Poles, Czechs, Germans & so on, but I am sure it was not done for their benefit, it was done, as Gorbachev saw it, for the benefit of Russia. Therefore Patriot it is from me.

Glasnost .

* He did not rise to any power but did gain a prominence

Gorbachev identified the condition in which Soviet Union found itself by mid-1980s as "stagnation". In fact, it was much worse than that, anf Gorbachev probably realized that.

The USSR economy was being bancrupted by the escalating arms race with the US. Afghan war increaing political Soviet isolation and internal strife. The standard of living and public health were dropping. The Communist ideology appeared moraly bankrput. Corruption and "shadow economy" were rampant, and public trust low. This contributed to increased alcoholism and apathy, which in turn, lowered productivity and public health. The USSR appeared to be in a death spiral. It was hard to tell whether the failings of the economy were the cause or the result of the failing ideology. Wisely, Gorbachev decided to revamp both.

Mikhail Gorbachev introduced measures that eventually led to the breakdown of the communist Soviet Union. Two of these measures were Glasnost and Perestroika, also known as openness and restructuring.

A Soviet leader who called for a closer relationship with the United States, economic reform, and a more open society.

apex

He was a ruler of the S.U..... He was a member of the communist party. Gorbachev was 54 when he was elected. he (along with Ronald regan) signed the Nuclear Arms abolition act. He was also given the nobel peace prize in 1990!

He is still alive today! (should be around 80) he was the second and first in (27 yrs) to leave the S.U ruler post ALIVE!

He is known mainly as a traitor of all S.U. people. Everyone hate him.

encourage political discussion and economic reform

Yeltsin is a Russian and was the head of Russia. Not US president.

It empowered angry citizens to protest against communism and the Soviet government.

he introduced Perestroika "economic restructuring"; local managers gained authority over their farms and factories. People where allowed to open small private businessess

He wanted to help ease the economic problems of his country.

Let it run it's course. All politically communist states have either disbanded or in the process of doing so to a greater or lesser degree. Eventually capitalism becomes more attractive as was witnessed by the statement by China in the Eighties. That is not to say that the state does not continue to be ruled by despotism.

Raisa's death, after several years of ill-health, left Gorbachev bereft. He lives in Moscow, has not remarried and finds solace with his daughter and grand-daughters. He would not be coaxed to talk about Raisa, except fleetingly in the context of the charity.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/mikhail-gorbachev-russias-elder-statesman-still-at-home-with-power-1993279.html

Monday, 7 June 2010

Mikhail Gorbachev graduated from the Moscow State University in 1955 with a degree in law.

He wanted to improve the run-down Soviet economy by using his reforms perestroika and glasnost, in doing that, he believed in allowing more freedom to the common man. Gorbachev planned to link socialism with democracy to improve relations with the world and the people within Russia.

Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START I), signed in 1991

1987

In a Photo with Gorbachev, George H. Bush, and Ronald Reagan one can gather some insight to Gorbachev's height. George H. Bush towers over both Reagan and Gorbachev, however, Reagan is slightly leaned over, but so is Bush. If George H. Bush is about 6'2" or 6'3" and Reagan is somewhere near the 6' or 6'1" mark, one can comfortably place Mikhail Gorbachev at around 5'9" to 5'10".

Mikhail Gorbachev: 5'10"

I used this picture to draw my conclusions

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Reagan_Bush_Gorbachev_in_New_York_1988.jpg

1. reform the Soviet Union politically and economically

Gorbachev's two major policies were glasnost and perestroika, which means openness and restructuring. He welcomed criticism of the government, which was never before allowed in the U.S.S.R. He wanted to reform or restructure the economy and especially the communist party within U.S.S.R. He allowed freedom of press and released political prisoners. He encouraged the rulers of the eastern European countries to adopt the same policies. The people of eastern Europe stood up against the oppressive regimes (although some eastern European rulers did follow in Gorbachev's footsteps and allowed free elections). The people initially feared that the Soviet army would suppress the uprisings like it had before, but Gorbachev did not provide help to the Communist regimes. Hence by 1991, communism was rejected by the eastern Europe.