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Stalinist russia > Gorbachev > Flashcards

Gorbachev Flashcards

1
Q

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

A

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

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2
Q

What years did Andropov rule

A

1982-84

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3
Q

What were Andropov’s original reforms

A

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

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4
Q

How did Andropov deal with foreign relations

A

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

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5
Q

What was the impact of Andropov’s policies

A

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

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6
Q

When was Chernenko in rule

A

1984 to 85

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7
Q

What were Chernenko’s agricultural reform

A

Reverted to a policy of increasing land under cultivation

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8
Q

What were Chernenko’s industrial reforms

A

No fundamental reform

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9
Q

What was Chernenko’s foreign policy

A

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

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10
Q

What were Chernenko’s government reforms

A

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

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11
Q

When did Gorbachev rule

A

1985 to 1991

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12
Q

What were Gorbachev’s initial aims

A

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

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13
Q

How did Gorbachev replace his ministers

A

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

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14
Q

What was Perestroika under Gorbachev and who opposed it

A

Restructuring through economic reform

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

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15
Q

What was Glasnost under Gorbachev and what was its motive

A

Openness e.g. publicity in Russia

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

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16
Q

In what ways was Glasnost ignored

A

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

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17
Q

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

A

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.

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18
Q

What were the main political reforms Gorbachev out in place

A

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

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19
Q

What were the negative outcomes of Gorbachev’s political reforms

A

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

20
Q

What were the positive outcomes of Gorbachev’s political reforms

A

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

21
Q

By how much did party membership decline under Gorbachev

A

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

22
Q

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

A

12th 5yr set considerably higher targets

Put more pressure on the economy

23
Q

What were the positive outcomes of Phase 1 of Perestroika

A

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

24
Q

What were the negative outcomes of phase 1 of perestroika

A

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

25
Q

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

A

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

26
Q

What were the positive outcomes of phase 2 in perestroika

A

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

27
Q

What were the negative outcomes of phase 2 in perestroika

A

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

28
Q

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

A

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

29
Q

What were the negative outcomes of phase 3 in perestroika

A

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

30
Q

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

A

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

31
Q

What were the negative outcomes of phase 4 in perestroika

A

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

32
Q

By how much did industrial production fall by in 1987

A

6%

33
Q

By how much did increase in debt rise in 1987

A

From 36 to 57 billion roubles

34
Q

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

A

54%

35
Q

What was running inflation at by 1989

A

10%

36
Q

When was the new party programme drafted under Gorbachev

A

Aug 1991

37
Q

What did the New Party Programme under Gorbachev state

A

Notion of USSR moving towards communism had been abandoned

Old Bolshevik commitment to transforming the world abandoned

38
Q

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

A

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

39
Q

What happened in Nagorno-Karabakh

A

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

40
Q

What happened in Ukraine

A

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

41
Q

What happened in the Baltic states

A

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

42
Q

Describe the events of the coup

A

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

43
Q

Why did the coup fail

A

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

44
Q

What did the coup demonstrate

A

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

45
Q

What were the main reasons for the collapse of the USSR

A

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

46
Q

What is Gorbachev’s overall assssment

A

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

47
Q

What were Gorbachev’s main criticisms

A

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

Stalinist russia (6 decks)

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