Gorbachev

Question 1

Why wasn’t the economy working under Gorbachev between 1982 and 1985

Answer 1

Poor coordination and rivalry between government departments
Inflexible economy which was unstable to adopt to new ideas or technology
Command economy
Targets demanded high levels of production regardless of quality

Question 2

What years did Andropov rule

Answer 2

1982-84

Question 3

What were Andropov’s original reforms

Answer 3

Removed Brezhnev’s close supporters
1/5th of regional Party secretaries were replaced
1/3rd of departmental heads of central committee replaced
Industrial production in 1983 was its highest since 1978

Question 4

How did Andropov deal with foreign relations

Answer 4

Failed to improve relations with the USSR
USSR did not disarm unilaterally
Afghanistan war was continued

Question 5

What was the impact of Andropov’s policies

Answer 5

Did not make a positive mark on foreign relations
Resistance to improving discipline and efficiency
Efforts at reform were not systematic
He wasn’t in power long enough

Question 6

When was Chernenko in rule

Answer 6

1984 to 85

Question 7

What were Chernenko’s agricultural reform

Answer 7

Reverted to a policy of increasing land under cultivation

Question 8

What were Chernenko’s industrial reforms

Answer 8

No fundamental reform

Question 9

What was Chernenko’s foreign policy

Answer 9

Sought to resurrect detente which was opposed to military, continuation of Afghanistan war

Question 10

What were Chernenko’s government reforms

Answer 10

Military and political leadership crisis developed
12% increase in military spending
Politburo reduced to 10

Question 11

When did Gorbachev rule

Answer 11

1985 to 1991

Question 12

What were Gorbachev’s initial aims

Answer 12

Not a man with a radical agenda
Reforms should take place within the existing political and social system
The USSR should be continued to be led by the Communist Party

Question 13

How did Gorbachev replace his ministers

Answer 13

His own supporters were promoted and rivals removes
70% of officials at district and city level were replaced
52% of the central committee were new

Question 14

What was Perestroika under Gorbachev and who opposed it

Answer 14

Restructuring through economic reform

Opposed by the Military Industrial Complex who had an interest in maintaining the status quo

Question 15

What was Glasnost under Gorbachev and what was its motive

Answer 15

Openness e.g. publicity in Russia

Motive: to state the need for reform as a result of honest appraisal of the system

Question 16

In what ways was Glasnost ignored

Answer 16

Media didn’t have total freedom
Chernobyl highlighted this
USSR covered it up and the rescue effort failed

Question 17

What were the main consequences (+ and -) of glasnost

Answer 17

Perestroika could not take place without glasnost
Religious toleration led to 400,000 churches, mosques and synagogues opening
Restrictions on movement removed
Greater freedom of press, allowing debate of crime etc.

Question 18

What were the main political reforms Gorbachev out in place

Answer 18

Judges and the soviet system of law were made independent of the party
New constitution guaranteed individual rights
New law-making body elected by the people
Supreme soviet became a working parliament
Local Soviets could run local affairs

Question 19

What were the negative outcomes of Gorbachev’s political reforms

Answer 19

100 seats of Congress of People’s deputies (new law making body) reserved for communist party nominees
Congress could ament supreme soviet laws or reject them therefore the parliament was unlikely to become a reforming body

Question 20

What were the positive outcomes of Gorbachev’s political reforms

Answer 20

From 1988 a party position could not be held for more than two consecutive terms of 5yrs
Party lost control of economic policy
Party still controlled KGB and military

Question 21

By how much did party membership decline under Gorbachev

Answer 21

Declined for first time in 30yrs in 1989
3 million members left the party
Only 71% voted for Gorbachev as executive presidency

Question 22

What policies did Phase 1 of Perestroika (acceleration) put in place under Gorbachev

Answer 22

12th 5yr set considerably higher targets

Put more pressure on the economy

Question 23

What were the positive outcomes of Phase 1 of Perestroika

Answer 23

Renewed campaign against corruption
However….
Closing of distilleries simply led to illegal home brewing

Question 24

What were the negative outcomes of phase 1 of perestroika

Answer 24

Complains about food shortages and higher prices
40% of government spending on defence
USSR began to rely on imports and foreign loans

Question 25

What policies did Phase 2 of Perestroika (reform from above) put in place under Gorbachev

Answer 25

Calls for more discipline and a crackdown on corruption were not enough No meaningful reform

Question 26

What were the positive outcomes of phase 2 in perestroika

Answer 26

Reduced the power of the party Transferred some power from Moscow to the republics Law on state enterprises

Question 27

What were the negative outcomes of phase 2 in perestroika

Answer 27

Widespread rationing of basic foodstuffs Industrial output: 1.7 (1989) to -1.2 (1990) Agricultural output: 1.3 (1989) to -2.3 (1990)

Question 28

What policies did Phase 3 of Perestroika (market-based reform) put in place under Gorbachev

Answer 28

Economic activity affected by political changes which undermined the unity of the party

Question 29

What were the negative outcomes of phase 3 in perestroika

Answer 29

Central planning economies increasingly ignored Nationalist tensions grew Growing economic collapse led to major disturbances Coal miners and railway workers strikes

Question 30

What policies did Phase 4 of Perestroika (indecision) put in place under Gorbachev

Answer 30

Only a rapid move to a full-market based economy could avoid catastrophe

Question 31

What were the negative outcomes of phase 4 in perestroika

Answer 31

Gorbachev rejected proposals to decentralise economic power to the republics Commercialisation of state enterprises Relaxation of state control over prices and changed the housing market Overall, phase 4 destroyed the remaining economic base of the USSR

Question 32

By how much did industrial production fall by in 1987

Answer 32

6%

Question 33

By how much did increase in debt rise in 1987

Answer 33

From 36 to 57 billion roubles

Question 34

By what % did oil and gas make up USSR exports under Gorbachev

Answer 34

54%

Question 35

What was running inflation at by 1989

Answer 35

10%

Question 36

When was the new party programme drafted under Gorbachev

Answer 36

Aug 1991

Question 37

What did the New Party Programme under Gorbachev state

Answer 37

Notion of USSR moving towards communism had been abandoned | Old Bolshevik commitment to transforming the world abandoned

Question 38

What was the main consequence of the New Party Programme for Gorbachev

Answer 38

Old communists moved to mount a coup against him as he was beginning to take he party down a route that went against everything the Soviet Union had previously stood for

Question 39

What happened in Nagorno-Karabakh

Answer 39

Party supported the proposal to transfer the region to Armenia (as 3/4 population were Armenian) Azeri population caused violent unrest Massacred around 30 people Moscow aced in 1989 by declaring direct rule of he region and deploying 1000 troops

Question 40

What happened in Ukraine

Answer 40

Seen as hard-line but loyal to Moscow Those who followed Perestroika disagreed with traditionalists Ukraine party split with majority group in parliament taking sides with the reformers Nationalist protests grew Ukraine declared own sovereignty in July

Question 41

What happened in the Baltic states

Answer 41

They had grievances about annexation in 1940 to Germany the Nazi-Soviet Pact 1989 - Estonian Supreme Soviet declared its laws took precedence over USSR's Lithuanian party split with majority in favour of independence March 1990 Soviet troops invaded Lithuania in June 1991

Question 42

Describe the events of the coup

Answer 42

1) Gorbachev on holiday 2) 4 delegates placed him under house arrest 3) telephones dismantled 4) demands for him to either resign or to sign a decree ordering a state of emergency 5) delegates represented a 'state emergency committee' and assumed power in Moscow 6) issued several decrees including renouncing of the union treaty 7) newspapers associated with glasnost were banned 8) armed troops and soldiers were sent to Moscow and Leningrad 9) a naval blockade against Baltic states 10) Yeltsin called for resistance to the coup atop a tank 11) announcing a presidential edict, accusing plotters of treason 12) popular resistance to the coup with army prepared to support Yeltsin 13) leaders of the coup defected 20th August 1991

Question 43

Why did the coup fail

Answer 43

Failure of the conspirators to arrest Yeltsin Yeltsin's supporters Conspirators did not have support of all he armed forces Lines of communication were left open Popular resistance Gorbachev's refusal to buckle under pressure

Question 44

What did the coup demonstrate

Answer 44

That the central authority had lost much of its power and that Gorbachev was out touch with events

Question 45

What were the main reasons for the collapse of the USSR

Answer 45

Industrial growth continued to slow and the USSR fell behind the developed world Widespread corruption Soviet republics wanted to break away Gorbachev's political reforms weakened the USSR The communist party resisted changed Living standard had not improved sufficiently and many no longer believed in communism

Question 46

What is Gorbachev's overall assssment

Answer 46

The collapse of the USSR was not inevitable but Gorbachev hastened it

Question 47

What were Gorbachev's main criticisms

Answer 47

Never understood the strength of nationalist feeling Too obsessed with the past No substance to his policies Refused to work with Yeltsin Did not work to retain good relations with republic leaders Remembered as the man who destroyed the Soviet Union