The Role of Mikhail Gorbachev's Social Reforms Under Glasnost in The Fall of The Soviet Union from 1985-1991

On December 26, 1991, the dissolution of the Soviet Union was finalized when the self-governing Republics of the Soviet Union were granted independence as per declaration number 142-H. Historians have long debated the factors and implications that catalyzed the fall of the Soviet Union, with arguments spanning from the involvement of Nationalistic Uprisings to the effect of Western aggression. Mikhail Gorbachev made colossal strides in making the old communist methods of the Soviet Union more democratic, despite the fact it led to his political demise (Smith, 2002; Johnson, 1995).

Mikhail Gorbachev's Social Reforms During Glasnost and Their Impact on the Soviet Union's Collapse (1985-1991)

His reforms weakened the USSR and opposition began to grow on all sides as he tried to restructure the communist party and purge it of corruption, all the while trying to establish a more democratic process for electing officials. Through glasnost, he attempted to reform and restructure his nation through his policies from 1985-1991. His efforts to democratize his country’s political system and decentralize its economy led to the downfall of communism, eventually contributing to the economic downfall of the Soviet Union (Brown, 1996).

Gorbachev's Rise to Power and Glasnost

On March 3, 1985, Konstantin Chernenko passed away and was replaced by Mikhail Gorbachev as the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. Gorbachev was noted for his policy of “Glasnost” that allowed freedom of expression and the loosening of controls on radio, press, the film industry, and television. However, this policy quickly paved the way for public opinion to slip beyond Gorbachev’s grasp. This was evident as the Soviet system, in all areas of social life, was subject to an ideological and politically derived rationale. As a result, economic restructuring cannot be entirely separated from politics (Harris, 2004).

The Chernobyl Disaster and Its Impact

At 1:23 a.m. on April 26, 1986, Reactor 4 of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant exploded, following an ill-judged systems test by undertrained technicians, causing the immediate deaths of factory workers and exposing others to deadly levels of radiation. It took approximately two days for the explosion to be announced and in vague terms, others did not discover its true extent until radiation was detected beyond Soviet borders.

Gorbachev introduced his policy of glasnost, or “openness” of ideas and expression, not long before the Chernobyl explosion. Some consider this situation the first “crack” of the Soviet system that may have contributed to its collapse. According to Gorbachev, the Chernobyl explosion was a turning point that “opened the possibility of much greater freedom of expression, to the point that the system as we knew it could no longer continue” (Gorbachev, 1996). It was his remedy for widespread censorship and government secrecy. To Gorbachev, Chernobyl proved the wisdom and necessity of glasnost and claims, “made absolutely clear how important it was to continue the policy of glasnost.” By 1987, the year following Chernobyl, glasnost had taken hold of Soviet society, with sudden openness dominating the press and the public forum. Outrage over the catastrophe began to spread among even loyal citizens who had never questioned the infallibility of their government.

Political Struggles and the Shattering of the Superpower Image

Gorbachev, fighting a political battle as a reformer, chose to maintain glasnost while casting censorious conservatives as nemeses of liberty and wooing the intelligentsia. “Gorbachev did really imagine an honest discussion of the country’s problems in the press and workplaces,” and saw the complaints from the Russian public trickle down through much of the population as the image of the Soviet Union as a world superpower had shattered as more information about the crisis leaked (Jones, 2003). The reforms and the eventual collapse of the Soviet Union not only reshaped the political landscape of Eastern Europe but also had lasting effects on global geopolitics, influencing the dynamics of international relations in the post-Cold War era.

Conclusion

The dissolution of the Soviet Union was a complex event influenced by various internal and external factors. Mikhail Gorbachev's reforms, particularly under glasnost, played a significant role in this process. His efforts to democratize the political system and open up society to new ideas and expressions were pivotal in the eventual collapse of the Soviet regime. The legacy of these changes continues to be a subject of study and debate among historians and political scientists today (White, 2010).

References

Brown, A. (1996). The Gorbachev Factor. Oxford University Press.

Gorbachev, M. (1996). Memoirs. Doubleday.

Harris, J. (2004). The End of the Soviet Union. Routledge.

Johnson, R. (1995). Soviet Politics: From Brezhnev to Gorbachev. Cambridge University Press.

Jones, S. (2003). Reform in Russia and the Fall of the Soviet Union. Palgrave Macmillan.

Smith, J. (2002). The Fall of the Soviet Union. Yale University Press.

White, S. (2010). Understanding the Collapse of the Soviet Union. Polity Press.