Interpretations Political

Question 1

Historians generally agreed that the failure of Gorbachev to reform the Communist Party

BUT

Answer 1

Damaged his authority and that of the party

BUT there is less agreement over whether this left him severely weakened

Question 2

What have western historians generally viewed gorbachevs political reforms as?

Answer 2

Well meaning although unlikely to have every brought success

Question 3

“Essentialist” historians take the view that

Answer 3

Communism and the communist party were impossible to reform because they were, in essence, incapable of producing anything other than a totalitarian state, were freedom was not allowed and a one party state could only be sustained through force

Question 4

More recent research (political) has questioned

Answer 4

The inevitability of failure, viewing gorbachevs political reforms as potentially workable, but undermined by both conservatives and liberals within the party