Mikhail Gorbachev

introducing the policies of perestroika and glasnost

He betrayed the whole country. He was a weak and mercenary leader and everyone hates him for that. Now he lives in London and makes money from food called in honor with him: pizza, vodka and so on.

When the USSR ceased to exist in 1991, Russia became the obvious successor to the Soviet legacy - historically, territorially, militarily, etc. Boris Yeltsin was the President of Russia at the time, and in that sense can be considered Gorbachev's successor.

false :)

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.