1.5b How significant were the failures of Gorbachov's political reforms? Flashcards
What was Glasnost?
A policy of openness to encourage new ideas and innovation
What did the free speech of Glasnost descend into?
Criticism of the party
What 4 main categories did the criticism of the party from Glasnost fall under?
- Housing
- Stalin’s atrocities
- Environment
- Soviet military victories
Which 2 events did people discover had occurred under Stalin through Glasnost?
- Katyn Massacre
- Holodomor
What was the Katyn Massacre?
Where 4,000 Polish soldiers were found dead by the Soviets during WW2 and was blamed on the Nazis
Which was the biggest environmental concern for the Soviet people under Glasnost?
The Aral Sea
By how much had the Aral Sea shrunk?
By 90%
What military victory came under question due to Glasnost?
The myth of the ‘Great Patriotic War’ was uncovered by stories of wasted human life
What was it that persuaded Gorbachov to pursue Glasnost?
The government’s reaction
Which major disaster epitomises the idiocy of the government in their pursuit of Glasnost?
Chernobyl
Which reactor exploded at Chernobyl?
4
What did the government order staff to do during the Chernobyl disaster?
Leave the other 3 reactors running because they were short on power
What did Glasnost cause in terms of people being more politicised?
60,000 groups met to call for political reform
Name the 4 limited attempts at political reform from Gorbachov
- Defining the functions of party and state
- Shifting power from the party to the Soviets
- Streamlining the party
- Clamping down on corruption
Why did the functions of patry and state need to be defined?
The Nomenklatura system had previously blurred the lines
When were the functions of party and state defined?
During 19th party congress
How did Gorbachov’s role as both General Secretary and President show that the functions of party and state needed to be defined?
It mirrored the situation lower down in the party
What 2 things were done to shift power from the party to the Soviets?
- Allocated more funding to the Soviets
- Allowed deputies to stay for 5 years instead of 2
Give the 3 ways in which Gorbachov streamlined the party
- Created 6 new commissions
- Department of the Central Committee reduced from 20 to 9
- 5 ministries merged to form one ‘superministry’
In what year were ‘superministries’ introduced to streamline the party and what was their role?
1985
To coordinate economic planning
Under Gorbachov’s clampdown on corruption, who was Yuri Churbanov and how long was his sentence?
Brezhnev’s son-in-law
12 years
Who was Kunayev?
The Kazakh leader removed for corruption under Gorbachov’s crackdown on corruption
In what year was Kunayev removed?
1986
Who was Kunayev replaced by?
Kolbin
Why was the replacement of Kunayev with Kolbin so controversial?
Because Kolbin was ethnic and had never before lived in Kazakhstan
What happened as a result of the discontent at Kunayev being replaced by Kolbin?
The first ethnic strife during Gorbachov’s tenure
In what year did Gorbachev discuss the idea of secret ballots for multiple candidates?
1987
What was announced at 19th party congress?
Announced multi-party elections for the Congress of People’s Deputies elections
How were the multi-party elections for the Congress of People’s Deputies limited in democratisation?
- 100 candidates nominated by the Communist Party
- Communist party still the only legal party
What role did trade unions play in the multi-party elections for the Congress of People’s Deputies?
They could give their members a choice of who would have a seat
Name one of Gorbachov’s attempts to reform the party
Increased party divisions
How were reformers alienated by Gorbachov’s attempts to reform the party?
They realised that the Communist party would not carry through the desired reforms
When were reformers dissatisfaction at Gorbachov’s attempts to reform the party publicly displayed?
When Yeltsin and Gorbachov made it clear at the Plenum of the Central Committee in 1987
What was it about Gorbachov’s reforms that made Yeltsin publically attack him about it?
They were too slow
What 2 things happened to Yeltsin after publicly attacking Gorbachov’s attempts at party reform?
He was removed from the Politburo and
sacked as First Secretary in Moscow
What year did Yeltsin attack Gorbachov?
1988
What did the alienated conservatives do to attack Gorbachov’s attempts at party reform in 1988?
Published a critical letter in ‘Sovetskaya Russia’
What 2 things did the conservatives criticise about Gorbachov’s attempts at party reform?
- Undermined Stalin
- Glasnost was demoralisaing
At the time of the publishing of the critical article about Gorbachov’s attempts at party reform, where was he?
Yugoslavia
Who was left in charge in Gorbachov’s absence concerning the critical article about Gorbachov’s attempts at party reform and what action did they take?
Ligachev
Used the letter to further attack the pace of reform
What was so significant about the conservative alienation of Gorbachov’s attempts at party reform?
The criticism was supported by some of his own appointments such as Chebrikov
What did Gorbachov’s attempts at party reform create that were banned under Stalin?
Factions
Why did Gorbachov’s attempts at party reform create factions?
Democratisation opened up both sides to appealing for public support
What was the name of Yeltsin’s unofficial opposition group?
Inter-Regional group
What line in Article 6 had allowed the Communists to rule a 1 party state?
“the leading and guiding force of Soviet society and the nucleus of its political system”
Who had called for the ending of Article 6 previously? (good luck)
Andrei Sokharov
In what year and month was Article 6 abolished?
March 1990
After Article 6 was abolished, what percentage of the vote did opposition gain in Leningrad?
60%
How was the power vacuum of abolishing Article 6 temporarily filled?
Gorbachov was elected President by the Congress of People’s Deputies
After the abolition of Article 6, what did Yeltsin dramatically do after winning victory for his party?
Resigned from the Communist Party
What was the name of Yeltsin’s opposition party?
‘Democratic Platform’
