Perestroika, Glasnost and the Fall of the Soviet Union

Presenter: Bri Perkins

Presenter Status: Undergraduate student

Academic Year: 20-21

Semester: Fall

Faculty Mentor: Michaela Grobbel

Department: Modern Languages & Literatures

Funding Source/Sponsor: SYRCE Symposium

Screenshot URL: https://drive.google.com/uc?id=1oECUecaNGZRtWEdlhQ9mcZjeyq5VX6Gx

Abstract:
Abstract: Perestroika, Glasnost and the Fall of the Soviet Union

The legacy to come out of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, or USSR, in the 1980s are the events that would lead to its fall. From 1946-1991 the Soviet Union based its economy and policy off of the ideologies of the communist “founding fathers” Marx, Engles and later Lenin (Jones). The group credited for allowing these ideologies to take hold were the Bolshiviks (Dean). During its final days the Soviet Union was made up of over 150 autonomous states of various sizes and was under the authoritarian leadership of Mikhail Gorbachev (Conquest). Gorbachev, the man credited with implementing the major factors contributing to the eventual fall of this vast authoritarian regime, was the communist party leader, and eventual president, from 1985 until his resignation in 1991 (The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica).

Gorbachev, despite his membership of the communist party, was critical of the Soviet economy; claiming it was “inefficient” (History.com Editors). His resolution was to reform the economic system, which he called “perestroika” and introduce a new level of openness referred to as “glasnost.” Many party hardliners were displeased with Gorbachev’s handling of the economic situation and its deviation away from communist ideology.