-
Period: to
Entr'acte: Andropov and Chernenko
Brezhnev died in November 1982, leaving behind an aged, stagnant
political leadership. The politburo was laden with his contemporaries
and it was generally felt that the status quo would continue with the
appointment of a new Soviet leader. Politically, Andropov tried to remove Brezhnev’s followers (and
Chernenko’s supporters) and replace them with a new group of
nomenklatura loyal to Andropov and more likely to promote
changes needed in the stagnant Soviet system. -
Period: to
Perestroika
It was a political movement for reformation within the Communist Party of the Soviet Union during the 1980s, widely associated with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and his glasnost (meaning "openness") policy reform. The literal meaning of perestroika is "restructuring", referring to the restructuring of the Soviet political and economic system. -
Period: to
Glasnost
It was a political policy introduced
by Mikhail Gorbachev in in the
Soviet Union that allowed for criticism
of past Soviet practices. It was created
so that there would be more openness
and government transparency, intended
to reduce corruption. -
Period: to
Foreign Policies
In contrast to his controversial domestic reforms, Gorbachev was largely hailed in the West for his 'new thinking' in foreign affairs. During his tenure, he sought to improve relations and trade with the West by reducing Cold War tensions. He established close relationships with several Western leaders, such as West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, U.S. President Ronald Reagan, and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher—who famously remarked: "I like Mr. Gorbachev; we can do business together". -
Chernobyl Disaster
It was a catastrophic nuclear accident that occurred on 26 April 1986 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in the city of Pripyat, then located in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic of the Soviet Union (USSR). An explosion and fire released large quantities of radioactive particles into the atmosphere, which spread over much of the western USSR and Europe. -
Demokratizatsiya
It was a slogan introduced by General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev in January 1987 calling for the infusion of "democratic" elements into the Soviet Union's single-party government. Gorbachev's Demokratizatsiya meant the introduction of multi-candidate - not multiparty - elections for local Communist Party (CPSU) and Soviets. In this way, he hoped to rejuvenate the party with progressive personnel who would carry out his institutional and policy reforms. -
Period: to
Mikhail Gorbachev
Gorbachev attracted the attention and support of Andropov, who had
also felt the need for changes in Soviet society but knew that they
would not be put into place during his tenure. Following
Chernenko’s death, Soviet Foreign Minister Andre Gromyko
nominated Gorbachev for the position of General Secretary, and he
was duly elected by the politburo, whose membership was in a period
of transition.
