Gorbachev made reforms in the Soviet Union.
Further Explanation-
The most important event that occurred in the year after 1989 was the collapse of the Soviet
Union. The Soviet president and the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet
Union Mikhail Gorbachev introduced reforms to industrialize the Soviet Union and
provided limited civil liberties to the citizens. However, it was too late. The control of all
aspects of private and public lives by the Soviet government made the collapse of the Soviet
Union inevitable, and Gorbachev’s reforms only emboldened the public to demand further
changes in the political structure of the Soviet government. Ultimately, his reforms only
speeded up the collapse of the Soviet Union.
After the end of the Second World War, communism spread to several countries of Eastern
Europe and East Germany. The communist political structures involved the abolition of
private property, close control of public and private life and total government surveillance.
On the other hand, the economy was centralized, and contact with western democratic nations
was discouraged. Moreover, all communist nations had to be members of the Warsaw Pact,which was headed by the USSR. The Western nations took advantage of the post-war
economy and modernized their industries with technological reform. The communist
nations of Eastern Europe were inspired by this and wanted modernization and reforms,
and opposed the one-party rule of the Soviets. Throughout all nations of Eastern Europe, such
as Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and Romania, the communist governments were
overthrown. The demand for reforms and wave of revolutions reached the USSR, where
the people wanted access to the market economy, modernization, and foreign trade. The
Soviet public wanted decentralization and trade with western nations. There was a
threat of revolution, and President Gorbachev did not conform to the hardliner policies of
the Soviet Union. He introduced reforms such as freedom of the press and granted civil
liberties to citizens. However, this could not stop the fall of communism in Eastern Europe.
Learn more:
1. How did Benito Mussolini attempt to increase Italy’s power?
2. According to article i, section 3 of the constitution, each senator must be?
3. What was the outcome of most European revolts of the 1830s?
Answer Details-
Grade- High School
Chapter- The fall of communism in Eastern Europe
Subject- History
Keywords-
Communism, political party, ideology, civil reforms, modernization, foreign trade, the hardlinerpolicies.
