Ari Gilder, 2-406!

Homework #9

1. What problems did Gorbachev face when he became leader of the Soviet Union in 1985?

Gorbachev had to deal with an economy at a standstill, a raging and expensive war in Afghanistan, as well as conflict with the Western powers, due to a lack of a propoer human rights record. Also, in 1986, the nuclear power plant Chernobyl had exploded. This caused fear of nuclear plants, and ceased construction of any more.

2. How did he attempt to “fix” these problems through glasnost and perestroika?

Gorbachev had introduced glasnost – freedom and openness – to the Soviet public. He eased up censorship and permitted the media to report on the more sensitive stories, such as Chernobyl. He permitted historians to begin to write critical analyses of the previous leaders, such as Stalin and Brezhnev. Also, people who wished to leave the country were permitted to, and he permitted Christian celebrations. He had also introduced perestroika – restructuring and rebuilding – of the Soviet political and economic systems. He had limited the power of the Communists and established the position of state president as well as a new, authoritative legislative body.

3. Who opposed Gorbachev’s policies? Why?

Both the right-wing conservative Communists and the left-wing liberals had opposed Gorbachev. The conservatives were angry at him for not trying to prevent the fall of the Soviet empire in Eastern Europe. To spite him, they had enacted their own economic plan while Gorbachev was trying to Westernize the Soviet economy. The liberals were angry at him for not enacting enough reforms quickly enough. The liberalists had rallied together in Moscow and demanded he make more reforms.

4. Why were the Baltic republics upset at Gorbachev? What did they do to show their dissatisfaction? How did Gorbachev respond?

The Baltic republics – Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia – had wished for a greater amount of self-government. Gorbachev’s perestroika had centralized government towards the president. Because of this, the Baltic republics felt that Gorbachev’s reforms were just empty promises. As a result, they had threatened the Soviet Union with secession. Gorbachev had responded by sending in the Red Army to surround the Lithuanian legislature center.