Analysis Of The Significance Of Mikhail Gorbachev Politics Essay

Analysis Of The Significance Of Mikhail Gorbachev Politics EssayMikhail Gorbachev, The Patron of Change. The Cold War was a period in history from roughly 1945 to 1988 when the universe of discourses cardinal largest superpowers, the fusion of Soviet Socialist Republic (Soviet jointure) and the fall in States, were in continuous economic and semipolitical conflict. These polar entities struggled for dominance and control in the new atomic age. With no end in sight to this potentially catastrophic confrontation, it became essential for the leaders of both sides to reconcile their differences. For the Soviet Union, peace was increasingly important primarily because of the poor state of their economy. The leader responsible for bringing about the fall of the iron curtain and for helping to bring an end to communism in the Soviet Union was Mikhail Gorbachev. Gorbachevs contributions to world peace have been widely recognized and his actions continue to serve as examples for world leaders today.Mikhail Gorbachev, the leader of the Soviet Union from 1985 to 1991, make several significant contributions to the world. He represented a new generation of Soviet leaders, different form his predecessors who used fear and intimidation to maintain a communist idealist Russian society. Gorbachev was different because he recognized the flaws in the Soviet system of government and was willing to take steps to improve it. The contend ideals between communism and capitalism created a split between the East and the West on the proper form of government which was to be established in the occupied territories in Europe following World War II. However, the balance of power and arms race between the two superpowers took a huge buzzer on the Soviet Union. Gorbachevs policies helped bring an end to the Cold War, led to the destruction of the wall separating East and West Berlin, encouraged the rise of democracy in Europe, and at last led to a complete dismantling of the Soviet Union.1Gorbachev was born into a peasant family in the village of Privolnoe, on March 2, 1931. As a teenager, he worked driving farm machinery at a local machine-tractor station. During his college years, Gorbachev was very interested in politics. He joined the national communist party of the Soviet Union and quickly moved up in the ranks. By 1962, he was the regional leader of Komsomol (Young Communist League). Gorbachev was a successful politician from early on in his career. He became exposed to influence and workings of the influence of the KGB, the Soviet Secret police, experience that served him well in his future political career. Gorbachev met his wife, Raisa Titorenko, while attending instruct at Moscow State University.2As Prime Minister, Gorbachev tried to establish better relations with the United States. In November, 1985, he met with President Reagan in geneva to talk about national and international issues. Gorbachev once tell America must be the teacher of democrac y, non the advertiser of the consumer society. It is unrealistic for the rest of the world to reach the American living standard. The clearest signs of improvement between the United States and Soviet Union relations came in 1988 when Gorbachev made a positive impression with a crowd of spectators in New York City where he shook hands with people.3In the 1980s, the Soviet Union was struggling to survive because of the problems associated with a planned economy, and because a disproportionate amount the budget was being spent on the military towards an arms race with the United States. Gorbachev believed that the Soviet Union could non afford to decease so much on arms so he reduced the amount of money for war. This policy led to nuclear missile reduction treaties with the United States and effectively brought an end to the Cold War which had dominated international relations with the United States since 1945.When Mikhail Gorbachev took office in 1985, he faced one terrible proble m. The Soviet economy had been in a period of turmoil, and it was in desperate need of reform for two decades. Gorbachev once said The market came with the dawn of civilization and it is not an invention of capitalism. If it leads to improving the well-being of the people there is no contradiction with socialism. Gorbachev decided to change the old system with a period of perestroika, or restructuring in the hope of making it more efficient.4From 1985 to 1986, Gorbachew continued an anti- alcoholic drink program started by his predecessor, Andropov. His policies increased the price of vodka and changed the legal drinking age from 18 to 21, which had the effect of decreasing alcohol sales. It was his goal to discourage workers from drinking, and thus to improve the productivity of workers and increase industrial output. However, this campaign did not work out well in Russia.5Gorbachev promoted great political changes. angiotensin-converting enzyme of the most important measures came in 1989 when he set up elections where members of the Communist Party had to run against non-Communist Party members. Later that same year, he called to burn down special status of the Communist Party guaranteed by the Soviet Constitution. Gorbachev also ended the Soviet military occupation of Afghanistan.During this period, he began more drastic changes. whizz of these changes was the Law of State Enterprises, enacted in June 1987. This legislation gave businesses more independence from the government. Despite the increased independence, the state still exercised some control over their activities. This was quite a radical change and was seen as a move away from the old system of a centrally planned command economy, and many a(prenominal) people did not agree with it. Workers were also encouraged to be more open, which was part of Glasnost, and speak out against corruption or give suggestions. They were also encouraged to form slight privately owned cooperatives such as grocer y shops and hairdressing salons.6In 1989, Gorbachev was nominated as Time Magazines Man of The Year. Gorbachev called what he was doing permitting a revolution. Gorbachev became the patron of change. Gorbachev, and his reformer allies in Eastern Europe, managed to suppress at least one monster which was the states capacity for cruelty and violence against its own citizens. The Chinese students carried portraits of the Soviet leader, and they were shouting, In Russia they have Gorbachev in China we have whom? Gorbachev became a hero for what he would not do.7There were several important aftermaths that occurred while Gorbachev ruled the Soviet Union. One hundred thousand Soviet troops withdrew from Afghanistan. The Soviet military intervention was costly for the Soviet Union, and to the Afghan people. Over 1.5 million Afghans were killed.8An some other important event was the Chernobyl disaster. According to Michael Gorbachev (Tuesday,April16,2006,The Daily Star) the nuclear meltdo wn at Chernobyl 20 years ago, even more than my launch of Perestroika, was perhaps the real cause of the Soviet Union five years later. The Chernobyl disaster occurred on April 26, 1986 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. Chernobyl is ranked one of the greatest industrial accidents of all time. Some have said that Gorbachev was too silent about the disaster and was not forthcoming.9Also, Perestroika was Gorbachevs important reform. This consisted of economic reforms and policy changes. The Law of Cooperatives passed in 1988 allowed ownership of businesses by individuals.Gorbachev has been a powerful and symbolical presence in the worlds imagination since he first came to power in 1985. Gorbachev, and his program of Perestroika, was not popular in Russia. At the time, soap, sugar, tea, school notebooks, cigarettes, sausage and other meats, butter, fruits and vegetables, and matches were scarce.10By the 1980s, it was obvious that communism in the Soviet Union was not really working out. Mikhail Gorbachev became the leader of the Soviet Union in 1985 and he introduced many reforms in an attempt to modernize the economy and make the Communist Party more democratic. These reforms ultimately led to the breakup of the Soviet Union and an end to the one-sided Communist rule. In December 25, 1991, Gorbachev resigned as President at the point when the Soviet Union disintegrated.11Work Cited PageInternet SourcesMikhail Gorbachev Biography -. WriteSpirit -. Web. 28 may 2010. .Mikhail Gorbachev Biography Life, Family, Death, Wife, Young, Old, Information, Born, House, Time, Year. Encyclopedia of World Biography. Web. 28 May 2010.Gorbachev Foundation Biography. Russian. Web. 28 May 2010. .Non Internet SourcesKort, Michael. Mikhail Gorbachev. New York Watts,Morrow, By Lance. TIME Person of the Year tosh Archive Since 1927, Mikhail Gorbachev. Breaking News, Analysis, Politics, Blogs, News Photos, Video, Tech Reviews TIME.com. 13 Dec. 2002. Web. 27 May 201