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President K. Chernenko
Chernenko was a Soviet politician and the fifth General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. He led the Soviet Union from 13 February 1984 until his death thirteen months later, on 10 March 1985. Chernenko was also Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet from 11 April 1984 until his death. -
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Andropov
Yuri Andropov was a Soviet politician and the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1982 until his death fifteen months later. Andropov attempted to improve the economy by raising management effectiveness -
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Mikhail Gorbachev
Is a former Soviet statesman. He was the eighth and last leader of the Soviet Union, having been General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991. He was the country's head of state from 1988 until its dissolution in 1991. Gorbachev's policies of glasnost and perestroika (restructuring) and his plans of Soviet strategic aims contributed to the end of the Cold War. -
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Perestroika
perestroika means "restructuring", referring to the restructuring of the Soviet political and economic system. It was a political movement introduce by Gorbachev during the cold war within the policy of Glasnot. Perestroika aim was to reformed the economy by descentralized goverment end price controls by state. This was extremely expensive for the soviet state so It was a failure because it was focus on individual productivity. -
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Gorbachev's Foreign Policies
Gorbachev goverment made clear statement of the new policy of no intervation in the Warsaw Pact, ecoraning countries to follow their own path and be less realiant on the USSR. The USA saw Gorbachevs foreign policies more friendly to the western world. Treaties with the USA were Signed to control nuclears arms. This situation turned paradoxial and uncomfortable position ending with the collapse of the SU. -
Chernobyl Disaster
On april 26 one of the nuclears reactors exploted and released toxic radations. The soviet goverment did not issue any warning or notify anyone. Sweden made it known to the international community. The fire lasted to 16 of may. This led to the a further questioning of socialist economic policies and especially a crictisism of central planning. Chernobyl was the worst nuclear power plant accident in history with long-term consequences. -
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Demokratizatsiya
was a slogan introduced by Gorbachev in January 1987 calling for the infusion of "democratic" elements into the Soviet Union's single-party government. Gorbachev's 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. -
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Glasnost
was designed to increase the efficacy of the Soviet system by allowing for constructive criticism and open dialogue (freedom). this allowed communist fabric began to weaken, so too did the Union; ethnic and nationalist rivalries began to reappear, and such conflict invited the dissolution of the USSR into 15 separate republics by 1991.
