Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev is a former Soviet politician who served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, the head of the state of the Soviet Union, and also the Soviet Union's first and only president.
Gorbachev was born into a peasant Russian-Ukrainian in the Soviet Union, in a town that is now part of the Causcasus region of Southern Russia. After graduating from college, Gorbachev became very active in the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. Gorbachev rose through the part ranks, becoming one of the youngest provincial part chiefs, and later a part of the Communist Party Central Committee. On March 11, 1985, at the age of 54, Gorbachev was elected General Secretary of the Politburo, becoming the youngest member.
As General Secretary, Gorbachev introduced many reforms to boost the state economy, including glasnost, perestroika, and demokratizatsiya. Glasnost, meaning openness, gave Soviet citizens freedoms that had never experienced, such as freedom of speech. Also, state control of the press became far less suppressed. Demokratizatsiya, meaning democratization, was a major component of perestroika, or reconstucturing of the Soviet state.
In March of 1990, Gorbachev was elected the first and only president of the U.S.S.R., though only served for about a year and half before the dissolution of the Soviet Union. With the union's dissoultion, Gorbachev's political career came to an end. However, Gorbachev has still remained active in Russian politics.
Hello Mr. Gorbachev, this is David Cameron and I am very pleased to hear of some of your reforms like glasnost. It is very important to give the people the freedom they deserve while still trying to achieve a strong economy. We both have something in common, we both were young when we achieved such high power.
ReplyDeleteHello Gorbachev, its your old buddy Boris Yeltsin here. I just wanted to say that I am sorry for taking all the power away from you, it was for the country's own good. I wanted more radical reforms. I did not agree with the pace of "perestroika" and the Communist Party beliefs, so I quit. Even though we had our differences, I am a believer of having civil relationships. That is why I rushed to Moscow after the coop took place and defied the coup plotters, after you were taken from Moscow to the Crimea. I made a speech to defend democracy and reforms and prevented the coup. I hope all is well and I wish you luck in the future.
ReplyDeleteHello Mr Gorbachev, it is Mohammad Khatami. I was very interested in your freedom of speech proposal. I myself have introduced the same thing in my country. Tell me, how is it working out for you?
ReplyDeleteHello Mr. Gorbachev, it appears that the reforms you introduced were sucessful in their time and I must ask, how did you gain support of your party with such differing views? Although I tried to institute reforms that were generally agreed upon and beneficial for my people, I too was met with disillusionment in the end. - Vicente Fox
ReplyDeleteHello Mr. Gorbachev. This is Wei Jingsheng, and I just want to congratulate you on the improvements you brought to your country. The people's well being should be the main focus of any ruler, and in this regard, any reform is good reform. My personal favorite is of course demokratizatsiya, or democratization. I am a firm believer that democracy is the most beneficial political system for the people, and I am glad you realize this too. I am currently trying to bring about the same change in my own country, China, which is currently under an oppressive and stagnant Communist rule. In addition, the freedoms brought forth under Glasnost, particularly freedom of speech, could not make me more excited and hopeful. That is the key to overcoming the Communist oppression. The biggest threat to the Communists is the people knowing their rights and understanding their power. People need to realize that if they work together, they can overcome anything. Thank you for having the foresight and common sense to introduce these freedoms, and here's hoping that the same thing happens in China!
ReplyDeleteThis is Alexander Kerensky,
ReplyDeleteI am glad that Russia had you as one of her politicians. I like the fact that you gave Russia a bit more freedom than it had.