Throughout the 1970s and early 1980s the Soviet Union was one of the world’s two superpowers, with an enormous army, a huge industrial establishment, an impressive record of technological achievement, and a seemingly unshakable authoritarian government. No one saw any reason why it would not continue as the United States’ great rival in world affairs. In reality, industrial and agricultural production was stagnating, the people’s morale was plummeting, and the fossilized bureaucracy was mired in old politics and theories that no longer worked. Against this background Mikhail Gorbachev became general secretary of the Communist Party in March 1985 and began the task of rejuvenating Soviet communism by introducing policies based on glasnost, or openness, and perestroika, or restructuring.Gorbachev, who was fifty-four years old when he took power, was born of peasant parents and had studied law and agricultural economics. After filling a variety of positions in the Communist Party, he became a member of the politburo in 1979. After serving as Soviet leader for two years, he published a book, Perestroika, from which the document excerpt I would like you to read is taken (you can read it by clicking here). In it he describes his goals for Soviet communism. To his sorrow and the world’s shock he fell from power in 1991, with his reforms having led not to communism’s reform but its demise and not to the Soviet Union’s revival but its dismemberment.
After reading the document, I would like you to think about and discuss the following: What developments in the Soviet Union led Gorbachev to the conclusion that Soviet society and government were in need of reform? In Gorbachev’s analysis, what caused Soviet society to “lose its momentum?” In Gorbachev’s view, how will the “individual” in Soviet society be affected by his reforms? To what extent is perestroika democratic? Your thoughts…
16 comments:
Gorbachev is a hero that the Soviet Union was in dier need of. The Sinatra Doctrine was a brilliant idea. HE was unlike Stalin, he let you choose. say you were poland, he let you form a democracy and try multi-party elections. this is really what eastern europe needed. he saved them and had brilliant ideas. he really introduced us the start of the modern world.
Peretsoika really seemed to be something actually done for the people. the country was mostly suffering due to economic decline, and the soviet union had always had a problem of having a lower standard of living than other developed nations. these bad economic times was also causing disillusionment among the people, which made the problems worse and made the government unpopular. most he seemed to want a kind of socialist democracy in order to let the people decide what they wanted, which goes along with his gasnost plan.
I too like this Gorbachev guy. Unlike Stalin, Gorbachev sees the problems and cared about the people. He sees the social unrest and is willing to fix it. Now i know that Peretsoika and Gasnost or whatever didn't work all that great because the people of the Soviet union have been supressed for 80 years...but Gorbachev really made an effort and thats what I admire.
P.s. his birthmark thing on his head is really creepy...he looks like he just got shot and blood is gushing from his head...
Gorbachev did indeed improve the Soviet Union, but I still hold a fondness for Stalin. I mean, one man made an entire country(and a big and pretty heavily populated one at that) "love" him unconditionally. C'mon, you can't argue with a 100% approval rating, even if it was forced.
But even so, Gorbachev struck gold with his Peretsoika and Gasnost ideas, and I respect him for his decision to allow others to make the decision. That's what every country in the world needs. Where the hell is America's Gorby? I'm getting tired of waiting on him.
The stagnant economy led to Gorbachev's policy of perestroika and glasnost. The cause for this according to Gorbachev is people being "spongers" and a shortage of consumer goods. Through glasnost people were able to criticize the government and . There would be "more control from the bottom". Pretroiska is democratic because it allows for opinions to be heard. It is interesting how Gorbachev focusses on a spiritual rennewal of honesty and how Reagan initiates a spiritual revolution of sorts in traditional values and Christianity. This is seen in the "Evil Empire" speech. The collapse of the USSR in 1991 suggests that these reforms were not succesful. This suggests that if given a taste of democracy, the people will want democracy, the whole shibang. These reforms seem to have facilitated the collapse of the Soviet Union.
ironically the bbc has an article commemorating the perestroika that came out today...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7961645.stm
I think that the Sinatra Doctrine basically saved the Soviet Union's government and the people. Gorbachev was definitely a needed person for the Soviets and was very brilliant. He knew what was going on and knew what he had to do.
Because of economic issues, the Soviets were suffering, but Gorbachev was the one that saved them.
I can see why you like this guy so much mr. prill. Haha. He really seems to have the people's interest at heart. Even those who don't work hard enough or deserve it, he is looking after. He is treating peole fairly and equally. He is good for the Soviet Union. =]
Sapp.
[btw, I'm sorry I haven't come in. Things keep coming up. But I did get someone's notes and they told me about what I missed and I understand it all and everything]
I am so happy that Gorbachev came to power in the societ union. He let people choose what they wanted and it worked. I think he is the reason for the end of the cold war.
Gorbachev was what the Soviet Union needed at this point in time. He says that the government needs to let the countries choose the way their own government should be run and that it is not up to the Soviet Union.
I agree with u mr prill! Gorbachev did so much for the world just by saying hey do watcha want! cuz he wanted to repaire his country! but i have to say the thing on his head kinda scares me. lol.
One of the main reasons Gorbachev said the Soviet Union was "losing momentum" was because economic failures became more frequent. With the economy deteriorating, the rest of the Soviet Union was coming down right behind it. The economy made it impossible for them to keep up with the U.S. He also says that unresolved problems began to multiply and things not connected with socialism began to emerge in the lives of the people.
What developments in the Soviet Union led Gorbachev to the conclusion that Soviet society and government were in need of reform?
Gorbachev knew the S.U. was backwards, and that it needed some reforms. He knew the S.U. was not problem free and he wanted that... a problem free S.U. The S.U. was in bad shape, and needed change quick, because there was alcoholism going around everywhere, drug-addiction and crime abrupt in every street and corner. All of this adds to the stereotype of the S.U. and Gorbachev didn't want that, he didn't want the S.U. to be looked like a hairy, uneducated, neanderthal to the world, this is the reason he wanted reform.
You know Gorbie's growing on me. The Soviet Union, he claims, loses momentum due to a stagnation in the economy and society. He says problems were coming right and left and there were no solutions to them. It was in contrast to the technological and scientific dvances were being made. Economic and social problems leading to the fall of the Soviet Union..hm the US seems to be following not too far behind on this one.
Solviet Union lost momentum at the half way through its lifespan due to economic failures and socialism. and due to Gorbachv's reforms people will "live fairly comfortably."
This document was democratic because it respected people's rights in society. Just because someone is "a bad worker" he was able to get fairly equal life as the ones who werent
Gorbachev noticed the slow in economic growth as well as a changing standard of living which caused a crisis in the Soviet Union. This crisis became a big signal to Gorbachev that the SU needed reform and fast. Restructuring was even put in place to "restore the principle of socialism." Perestroika was a plan to intensify the SU as well as create a shift to scientific methods, eliminating social ethnics, as well as many other things. Gorby was looking out for the people's best interest instead of dictating. I can see why he was thought quite highly of in his time. He's the only person to finally make some real sense in this war rather than nonsense of people not trusting each other, pointing fingers, and name calling.
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