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Mikhail Gorbachev (World Leaders Past and Present)
Mikhail Gorbachev - World Leaders Past and Present Author:Thomas Butson When Mikhail Gorbachev became general secretary of the Communist party and leader of the Soviet Union in 1985, many international observers heralded the beginning of a new era in Soviet government. In a country that had been ruled by strong-willed dictators and conservative bureaucrats since it became a communist state in 1917, Gorbachev's a... more »ppointment represented a break with the past.
Born into a peasant family in 1931 in the village of Privolnoye, Gorbachev studied law and agriculture as a young man. He became involved in Communist party politics during his student years, moving up through the Party ranks to be elected to the ruling Politburo in 1980. His political success was fueled by his intelligence, ambition, and friendships with powerful Party officials, such as Yuri Andropov. As the Soviet Union's high official, Gorbachev dispensed with much of the cumbersome protocol favored by his predecessors, openly addressing such delicate domestic problems as the inefficiencies of Soviet industry and agriculture and the country's high rate of alcoholism. Even the seemingly unresolvable issue of superpower arms control has been cast in a new light since Gorbachev took the helm.
Some observers see Gorbachev's leadership as a ground-breaking departure with the past that opens the way to increased freedoms within the Soviet Union and promises to improve international relations. Others contend that Gorbachev merely represents a repackaging of the old Soviet ideology. It is agreed by most, however, that Mikhail Gorbachev, more than any other Soviet leader in recent history, has inspired hope around the world for improved superpower relations and has brought a unique brand of energy into the arena of Soviet politics.« less