The Impacg Of Gorbachev's Failure To Reform The Party

Question 1

What did Gorbachev become increasingly frustrated with?

Answer 1

His failure to change the mindset of conservative Party members

Question 2

Gorbachev had hoped his political reforms would act as a key method of

Answer 2

Increasing the involvement of the population with politics

Strengthen support for his economic reforms

Question 3

The failure of reforms to the party left many reformers convened that the solution was to move towards….?

Answer 3

Pluralism

Question 4

Pluralism

Answer 4

A political system where there is more than one political party contesting elections

A change from the one party system used in the USSR — communist party would have to earn its right to govern

Question 5

Impact on the unity of the communist party

INCREASING ___________ WITHIN THE PARTY

Answer 5

DIVISIONS

Gorbachev’s failure to bring substantial reform of the party alienated both “liberals” and “conservatives” in the party.

The increasing divisions undermined the authority of Gorbachev, who struggled to find common ground between them.

Question 6

Example of conservative? A die hard Stalinist?

Answer 6

Andrei Gromyko

Question 7

Liberal —

Conservative —

Answer 7

Favour of reform

Against reform

Question 8

Radical reformer example?

Answer 8

Yeltsin

Question 9

Reformers isn’t

Answer 9

Blank and white

Eg

Ligachev

Question 10

IMPACT ON THE UNITY OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY of political reforms failure

Alienating reformers

Answer 10

For more radical reformers (eg Yeltsin) an increasing realisation that the party would not carry through the reforms they felt were needed and desired

Question 11

At what event did disagreements between Yeltsin and Gorbachev come to a head?

Answer 11

Plenum of the Central Committee
October 1987

Yeltsin openly attached gorbachevs approach to reform as being too slow
(Subsequently sacked as Party First Secretary in Moscow and then removed from the Politburo in February 1988)

Question 12

When was Yeltsin removed from the Politburo?

Answer 12

2/1988

Question 13

IMPACT ON THE UNITY OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY political reform failure

Alienating conservatives

Answer 13

March 1988 the hard line communists in the party attempted to strike back and gin some control over events

While G was on a diplomatic trip to Yugoslavia, a letter was published in the newspaper Sovetskaya Russia by an unknown communist, Neena Andreeva. Complained about constant undermining of work of Stalin’s, attacked glasnost for demoralising

Question 14

When did the hard line communists in the party attempt to strike back and gain some control over Events?

Answer 14

March 1988

Question 15

In what newspaper did the hard line communists publish a letter whilst Gorbachev was on a diplomatic trip to where?

Answer 15

Sovetskaya Russia

Yugoslavia

Question 16

Who wrote the letter in Sovetskaya Russia?

Answer 16

Nina Andreeva

Question 17

What did Nina Andreevas letter say?

Answer 17

Complained about the constant undermining of the work of Stalin
Attacked glasnost for its demoralising impact

Question 18

What happens after Nina Andreeva’s letter was published?

Answer 18

Ligachev, acting as leader in gorbachevs absence, took the initiative and used the letter as an opportunity to attack the pace of reform

Question 19

What was worrying for Gorbachev about Nina andreeva’s letter?

Answer 19

The sentiments were supported, not just by die hard stalinists such as Gromyko, but also by some of Gorbachev’s own employees such as Viktor Chebrikov

Question 20

THE IMPACT ON THE UNITY OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY the development of factions

Answer 20

Arguments between liberals and conservatives had occurred within the Politburo and Central Committee

Democratisation -> both sides can appeal to public for support

Factions prohibited BUT informal groupies stared to emerge during COPD elections

Question 21

Factions within the party were prohibited BUT

Answer 21

informal groupings started to emerge during elections for the COPD

Reformers — eg Yeltsin — formed an Inter-Regional Group,
Conservatives worried about upholding the territorial integrity of the Soviet Union formed Soyuz

When the Congress met, these groups formed a soft of unofficial opposition to the government

Question 22

Reformers such as Yeltsin formed…

Answer 22

Soyuz

Question 23

Conservatives worried about upholding the integrity of the Soviet Union formed

Answer 23

Soyuz

Question 24

THE IMPACT ON THE UNITY OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY the abolition of article 6

If the communist party could not be reformed then one logical conclusion to this was to

Answer 24

End the political monopoly of the party

Article 6 of the Soviet Constitution states that the communist party held the position of “the leading and guiding force of Soviet Society and the nucleus of its political system, of all state organisations and public organisations”

Enshrined one party state—> symbolic target for critics who wished to push for real democracy

Question 25

Article 6 said

Answer 25

The communist party held the position of “the leading and guiding force of Soviet Society and the nucleus of its political system, of all state organisations and public organisations”

Question 26

Who was one of the leading critics who called for the ending of Article 6?

Answer 26

Andrei Sakharov

Question 27

Conservative take on article 6?

Answer 27

Non-negotiable

Question 28

What happened to article 6?

Answer 28

Faved with growing criticism from liberals and continued resistance from conservatives, Gorbachev finally repealed it in March 1990 and this extended the Party’s monopoly on power.

Other positional parties could now be established to contest elections.

Question 29

What does it mean now article 6 has gone (repealed March 1990)?

Answer 29

Other political parties can now be established to contest elections

Question 30

By the end of what year was the communist party powerless?

Answer 30

1990

Question 31

What did the elections to local Soviets see?

Answer 31

Immunity candidates defeated across the country

Question 32

How much of the seats did the opposition secure in leningrad?

Answer 32

60%

Question 33

In the non Russian republics support for

Especially in the

Answer 33

National groups grew

Baltic States

Question 34

Yeltsin’s grouping?

When did it score a victory?

Answer 34

Democratic Platform

The election for the Russian Congress of People’s Deputies

Question 35

When did Yeltsin resign from the communist party?

Answer 35

June 1990
Dramatically
Freeing himself from ties to the party and to socialism

Question 36

What filled the political vacuum in central government when the Communist Party lost power?

Answer 36

The election of Gorbachev to the position of president of the USSR by the Congress of People’s Deputies

Presidential rule replaced Party rule, at least in theory.

In practice? Power had shifted from the Center to the regions

Question 37

The election of Gorbachev to the position of President of the USSR by the Congress of People’s Deputies…

Answer 37

Presidential rule replaced Party rule (in theory)

In practice? Power had shifted from the Center to the regions