Gorbachev Becomes Soviet Leader

Setting the scene

Mikhail Gorbachev became General Secretary of the Soviet Communist Party on March 11, 1985, at age 54, the youngest Soviet leader since Stalin. He succeeded Konstantin Chernenko, who died after 13 months in office. Gorbachev was chosen by the Politburo as a reformer to address the USSR's economic stagnation, technological lag, and crisis of legitimacy after the deaths of three elderly leaders in 28 months (Brezhnev 1982, Andropov 1984, Chernenko 1985).

What happened

Gorbachev introduced two key policies: glasnost (openness)—allowing free speech, press freedom, and political debate—and perestroika (restructuring)—attempting market reforms within socialism. He also pursued détente with the West, meeting Reagan and signing arms control treaties. Gorbachev believed the Soviet system could be reformed, not replaced.

Why it still matters

Gorbachev's reforms unintentionally destroyed the USSR. Glasnost revealed the system's crimes and failures, while perestroika created economic chaos without producing growth. Nationalist movements in the Baltics and elsewhere used new freedoms to demand independence. Gorbachev refused to use force to preserve the empire, allowing Eastern Europe to break free in 1989. He resigned December 25, 1991, as the USSR dissolved. March 11, 1985, began the process that ended the Cold War, earning Gorbachev the Nobel Peace Prize in 1990 but making him reviled by many Russians for losing an empire.

Background

The Cold War entered its final phase.