Collapse of the USSR: Gorbachev and Stuff Flashcards
1
Q
Gorbachev as a leader (5)
A
- Came to power in 1985
- Youngest General Secretary and a reformist.
- Disagreed with hardliners in the CPSU
- Aimed to fix the leadership problem (old, conservative leadership)
- Demobilise (from A. + stop funding liberation movements), disarm (stop arms race, couldn’t compete with the SDI), discuss (reintroduce detente after Afghanistan)
2
Q
Gorbachev’s aims (2)
A
- Reform the USSR and communism, bring about change and put the economy on a new course
- Modernise economy to stop its decline.
3
Q
Glasnost (3 + 2)
A
Social and political reform:
- Freedom of media and criticism of govt. allowed
- Allowed for freedom of expression
- Revealed horrors of Stalin’s rule (Katyn Massacres). Received negatively
- Glasnost ended up empowering the citizens and let them demand change
- The people no longer trusted the system and many people called for the end of the USSR
4
Q
Perestroika (6 + 3)
A
Introduced in 1987 to restructure the economy and prevent its decline:
- Modernise economy and make it more efficient
- Allowed market forces to be introduced. No longer illegal to sell for profit and mixed economy emerged
- Reduced control over imports and exports
- Trade with non Bloc countries allowed
- Foreign investment
- Government spending soared + inflation as products were being sold for profit but salaries didn’t increase accordingly.
- Ended up weakening the economy
- Glasnost and perestroika destabilised the already weakened system of the USSR
5
Q
Political action taken by Gorbachev (3)
A
- Allowed SS to be more experimental with reforms
- Became more receptive to foreign criticism
- Democratisation gave the people a greater voice in the political process
6
Q
Democratisation (2 + 2)
A
- Less bureaucracy and encourage economic reform
- Give more people a say in the running of the country through voting
- Lack of infrastructure and knowledge base meant that the move to a mixed market failed.
- 1988: Congress of People’s Deputies created
