...The Life of Mikhail Gorbachev Abstract Mikhail Gorbachev was a Soviet politician. He was the general secretary of the Communist Party from 1985-1991 and the president of the Soviet Union from 1990-1991. For most of his life he was proponent on communist ideals, who learned these views at an early age from his grandfather. Gorbachev would later understand in order to strengthen the Soviet Union; he would need to democratize the country’s political system. He would see lead the end of Soviet communism and the end of the Soviet Union’s postwar domination of Eastern Europe. Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev was born on March 2, 1931 in Privolye, Stavropol kray, Russia. Gorbachev was born of Russian peasant in the Straropol territory (kray). At a vey young age, fifteen, he joined the Komsomol (Young Communist League) and worked on a state farm until his early twenties. He was a very promising member of the Komsomol and entered law school at Moscow State University. During his time at Moscow State he became a member of the Communist Party. In 1955 he graduated with his law degree and held various important post in the Komsomol and regular party organizations in Stavropol, where he became the first secretary of the regional party committee in 1970. (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2012) Mikhail Gorbachev’s ideals were molded at a very young age. Gorbachev’s grandfather, Pantelei Yefimovich Gopkalo, was a devoted member of the Communist Party. In 1937 Gopkalo was arrested by the...
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...that the Cold War came to an end because of Mikhail Gorbachev’s new approach to US-Soviet relations in the mid- to late 1980s? The ascension of Mikhail Gorbachev in 1985 had a strong impact on the Cold War as well as the US-Soviet relations. Gorbachev new political thinking brought about new reforms for the Soviet Union and a much less hostile approach towards the US which lead to a relaxation in the tension between the two great superpowers. It can be argued that other factors such as the pressure from the West and People Power had a much more profound effect in the Cold War and that these factors lead to the end of the war. It can be agreed that Gorbachev’s new approach towards the US had an impact on ending the Cold War up to a point but other factors mentioned previously also had a huge part to play in ending the Cold War. The emergence of Gorbachev brought a great change to the Soviet’s foreign policy both towards the US and eastern Europe. In source 1 the ascension of Gorbachev is said to be the most critical turning point in the cold war’s final phase as Gorbachev himself was a unique individual who deprived the US of the enemy they were fighting. Gorbachev saw that the Russian people could not continue living in the terrible conditions they were in due to the arms race and thus believed that concessions with the West were needed. Just like the source states these concessions changed the US-Soviet relations and eventually lead to the end of the Cold War. Gorbachev’s...
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...Union in what had become the most technologically advanced arms race the world had ever seen. The destructive capabilities of both nations had grown from a reason of concern into the potential for nuclear holocaust. There were few options to ending the Cold War which was approaching 35 years in duration at the time of President Reagan’s Inauguration. It would take strong leadership and an informed vision of a peaceful future to finally bring an end to the Cold War, but this leadership and vision could not be unilateral. Upon taking office, President Reagan recognized that United States had disarmed during the 1970s while the Soviet Union had gained nuclear superiority. He took a hard line while negotiating with the Soviets (Gillon, 299). Reagan’s dramatic increase in defense spending forced the USSR to keep up. Mikhail Gorbachev was elected General Secretary of the Soviet Union on March 11, 1985. Gorbachev was the first leader to have been born after the Communist Revolution and would prove to be the most progressive leader the nation had seen. With his willingness to be the catalyst for reform and eventually peace, it seemed there was finally hope for de-escalation (Britannica, 2014). In 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev made speeches acknowledging that his nation’s economy had stalled and advocated sweeping reforms to make the Soviet bureaucracy more efficient and prosperous. The first of such reforms was his 1986 policy known as Perestroika, which is literally translated...
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...In the book The Dead Hand: The Untold Story of the Cold War Arms Race and its Dangerous Legacy, Hoffman focuses on the arms race during the Cold War, and the events that led up to finally bringing it to an end. Hoffman’s book also goes into detail about the secret decisions and motives the United States and the Soviet Union had during the Cold War. Hoffman also draws in top secret documents deep within Kremlin, interviews, and memoirs from both the Soviet Union and the United States, which he introduces the soldiers, scientist, diplomats, and spies all witnessed the world going towards what was thought as a complete disaster. From this, the author draws in the official leaders and their influence in the Cold War during that time, telling stories of President Ronald Reagan, Mikhail Gorbachev, and others who fought to bring the arms race and the Cold War to an end. The author’s purpose for writing this book was that he wanted to deliver a narrative how the arms race during the Cold War officially came to an end, along with explaining the...
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...Ronald Wilson Reagan was the President of the United State from 1981 to 1989. During his presidency, the Cold War was still occurring. Beginning in 1947, the Cold War was a states of political and military tension, primarily between the United States and the Soviet Union, a communist country. The war lasted for forty-four years, ending in 1991. President Ronald Reagan was instrumental in ending the Cold war because of his build-up of the United States military, implementation of the Reagan Doctrine and his strong diplomatic position with Mikhail Gorbachev. Early in Reagan’s Presidency, he gave a speech deeming the Soviet Union an “evil empire” and told the U.S. citizens that he would keep an aggressive campaign against communism (Cold War...
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...Ronald Reagan - The Cold War and U.S. Diplomacy POL30048GA050-1118-001 IR: The New World of International Relations October 24, 2011 Abstract In this assignment, I will write a three to five page paper on President Ronald Reagan doctrine of The Cold War and U.S. Diplomacy during his presidency. In addition, this paper will address the following: 1. Summarize a situation that required U.S. diplomatic efforts during the president’s time in office. 2. Explicate the diplomatic doctrine the president followed, with reference to specific actions or events that occurred. 3. Describe the effects of these diplomatic efforts for the U.S. and other countries. 4. Assess, in conclusion, the advantages and disadvantages of the particular doctrine that was followed. Ronald Reagan - The Cold War and U.S. Diplomacy In this assignment, I will discuss President Ronald Reagan’s position on The Cold War and U.S. Diplomacy during his presidency. First, let me define the terms “The Cold War”, and “U.S. Diplomacy”. The Cold War was a period of military and political tension between the United States and the Soviet Union after World War II. It was called the Cold War, because there was no direct fighting between the two powers. The term “U.S. Diplomacy” refers to a country’s ability or skill to negotiate on the international level between nations or groups of nations, or simply, it is political contact between national governments. Diplomacy is extremely important. It is the feedback...
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...remembered tension, fear and excitement in the air in the weeks and days leading up to the opening of the Wall. "It was a miracle that everything happened peacefully," said Merkel, who was on her way home from a visit to the sauna when she saw crowds of people heading west and joined them. "There had been a lot of excitement for weeks. There were tanks that had been on my street since October 7." Merkel, chancellor since 2005, began her career in politics months later as a deputy party spokeswoman. Usually guarded about her life in East Germany, Merkel had until recently been circumspect about revealing details of what she did on the evening the wall opened. View galleryFormer Soviet President Gorbachev visits the former … Former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev^makes an impression with his hands in cement as he visits … But in recent weeks she has spoken more openly and on Saturday said: "After I left the sauna on the evening of November 9, I went over the Bornholmer Street crossing to the other side and celebrated there with total strangers. "There was just this incredible feeling of happiness," she said. "It was a night I'll never forget." The Berlin Wall was built in 1961 to stop East Germans fleeing to the West. It began as a brick wall and was then fortified as heavily guarded 160 km (100 mile) double white concrete screen that encircled West Berlin, cutting across streets, between families, and through graveyards. At...
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...Glasnost': The Decimation of the USSR April 16, 2002 I) Since the beginning of mankind the world has been under various ruling powers with only one goal in mind. A) This led to the rise of monarchies with their kings and queens, the socialists with their presidents, and the communists with their tsarist rulers. B) In 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev brought upon the world the idea of Glasnost', which led to the changing of the largest ruling power in the world to a new power benefiting everyone. II) The Former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics before Glasnost'. C) Different styles of Soviet government from the early 1900s up to 1985. 1) Leninism to Stalinism to Khrushchev to Brezhnev. D) Coups and the Great Purge III) What lead to Glasnost' and what it is. E) In 1986, Gorbachev dismayed at the slow process of reform being conducted in the country proposed to the citizens of the USSR and the entire world a two new ideas to help bring reform to the country in a much more radical direction. F) Gorbachev called for a glasnost’ (openness or candor) in the media and culture. IV) Changes within Russia and Foreign changes. G) Banned works and speaking out are no longer dangerous crimes against the state. 2) Criticizing the government led to the formation of a large number of independent nationalistic movements in the USSR. 3) Scholars and scientists are allowed to share their findings with others...
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...Chapter 38 The Bipolar World THE CHAPTER IN PERSPECTIVE No sooner had World War II reached its bloody finish than the world was thrust into an even more frightening conflagration. The United States and its allies and the Soviet Union and its allies faced off in a fundamental struggle to shape the postwar world. It was a contest based on power politics, competing social and economic systems, and differing political ideologies that lasted over fifty years and touched every corner of the globe. A spiraling arms race eventually brought the world to the brink of nuclear apocalypse. While the war remained technically cold, the fear of a nuclear disaster made it feel very different to the peoples of the world. OVERVIEW The Formation of a Bipolar World Despite the lingering general animosity and mistrust that the Soviets and Americans shared, at the heart of the cold war was a fundamental disagreement between political, economic, and social systems. Capitalism and communism, at least in the minds of the superpowers, remained mutually exclusive. The United States attacked communism and backed, at least in theory, liberalism. Consequently, the United States criticized the Soviet record on human rights and the suppression of civil and religious institutions. In turn the Soviets, led by Nikita Khrushchev, were critics of the failings of laissez‐faire capitalism and the wide gulf between rich and poor in western European and especially the United States...
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...integrity means to be honest, honorable, righteous and incorruptible; Mikhail Gorbachev demonstrated all of these traits and many more while ruling the Soviet Union. Near the end of his ruling it seemed that many people were against him; however, he was still honored and admired in Europe and the U.S., and was even awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Gorbachev came from a poor background and worked hard to reach the levels he did. When in power, Gorbachev had many plans to change and advance the Soviet Union. When faced with hardship, he never backed down and followed through with what he believed in. No matter who was against him, or who supported him, Gorbachev stayed true to his beliefs and followed his plans through to the end, showing his commitment and integrity....
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...greatest superpower following World War II. Finally getting back on their feet after the great depression, the United States economy was unmatched by any other nation. The only country able to compete with the United States in any way was the Soviet Union. During World War II both of these super powers fought alongside each other as allies. As the war came to an end so did their civil relationship. The Cold War was a prominent time of tension between the nations following World War II. The war was centered around the issue of communism. This period began in 1945 and lasted nearly 45 years. Over the course of this time period many U.S. presidents came in and out of the White House. Each had their own...
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...As the Cold War came to an end, Ronald Reagan’s presidency paved the way for a new burst of freedom and possibility in America. Immediately after Reagan came into office, the president increased support for countries fighting communism, regardless of whether the nation the U.S. would support was under a dictatorship. However, as frightful events in history, such as the construction of the The Berlin Wall, continued to ignite fear against the spread of communism around the world, a new Soviet leader came into power. The relationship between President Reagan and the new Russian leader, Mikhail Gorbachev, sparked a period of improved relations between two nation, détente, as efforts were made for a collaboration among the U.S. and the Soviet Union...
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...Lauren O'Grady Lenin, Stalin, and Gorbachev: Their Impact on Russia's History Vladimir Lenin, Josef Stalin, and Mikhail Gorbachev all played remarkable roles in Russia's history, although in very different ways. Though each could be criticized or praised for various different policies, these three leaders were perhaps undeniably the most influential leaders of Russia's history in the last hundred years. Vladimir Lenin's influence on Russia started with the release of his book What's to be Done? In 1902. When the leaders of Russian Marxism gathered for a meeting in 1903, Lenin's ideas clashed with Iuli Martov's idea of a looser, more democratic workers' party. Due to this disagreement, was complicated by other conflicts, and from this meeting Russian Marxism was split into two factions (Simkin). Lenin's faction was called the Bolsheviks (majority) while the other referred to themselves as the Mensheviks (minority). When the Revolution of 1905 occurred in Russia, widespread revolt against the czar's government spread throughout the country. However, it was eventually demolished by the government. This revolt surprised all Russian leaders, including the Bolsheviks, Lenin managed to return to Russia only in November, when the defeat of the revolution was pretty much certain (Talbot). Over the next twelve years, Bolshevism, with Lenin at it's head, gradually emerged as an independent party that had cut it's ties with all other Russian...
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...in the globe after World War II along with the United States. The Russian Federation is located east of Europe and north of Asia. Russia has boundaries with fourteen other countries, like China in Asia, Kazakhstan in the Middle East, and Finland in Europe. In this country there are only two distinct seasons winter and summer. Spring and autumn are brief periods of change between extremely low and extremely high temperatures. The coldest month is usually in January. The warmest month is usually in July. Russia has a pretty broad population but mostly by Russians and the main language there is Russian. Russia is the ninth most populous nation in the world with 139 million people. The currency is the Ruble. One dollar is equivalent to 30 rubles. The capital city of Russia is Moscow. Russia is home to the famous St Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow which looks like a castle with onion shaped domes. The Kremlin is also located in Russia which is where government business is conducted. Some famous Russian ornament is the Fabergé Egg. Made by Peter Carl Fabergé o nly 65 eggs were ever made and they are worth millions. Russia is also famous or infamous for its assault rifle the AK-47. This is just a brief overview of Russia. We are covering many different facets about this magnificent country. We will cover mostly its government, military, education, employment, economy, and sports. Government Frank On March 11, 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev was elected as The General...
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...The Cold War Celena Daley Kaplan University SS211: Prof. Jennifer Schmidt 03/12/2016 The Cold War began as a result of a dispute between The United States of America and The Soviet Union. Although the war was never “officially” declared, it began somewhere around 1947 and ended roughly around 1991. The term "cold" is used because there was no large-scale fighting directly between the two sides, although there were major regional wars. The first phase of the Cold War began in the first two years after the end of the Second World War in 1945. Throughout this period, the rivalry between the two superpowers unfolded in multiple arenas: military coalitions; ideology, psychology, and espionage; sports; military, industrial, and technological developments, including the space race; costly defense spending; a massive conventional and nuclear arms race; and many proxy wars. There was never a direct military engagement between the US and the Soviet Union, but there was half a century of military buildup as well as political battles for support around the world, including significant involvement of allied and satellite nations in proxy wars. Although the US and the Soviet Union had been allied against Nazi Germany, the two sides differed on how to reconstruct the postwar world even before the end of World War II. Over the following decades, the Cold War spread outside Europe to every region of the world, as the US sought the "containment" of communism and forged numerous alliances...
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