Perestoika and Glasnost
Glasnost, 1986:
The term was interpreted in the west as “openness”
This policy shocked both his people and the west
For the first time since the Tsars a leader encouraged open debate about the country
The results were:
•Less censorship
•A change of view of Soviet history
•Andrei Sakharov was freed from exile (developed the hydrogen bomb in Russia)
•Stalin was denounced
•Gorbachev announced socialism still hadn’t arrived
Perestoika, 1987:
Gorbachev published a book with this title, which means “restructuring” it included:
•Denouncing Stalin
•Notion of one ideology one party
•Admitted that Hungary, 1956 and Czechoslovakia, 1968 were mistakes
•That he wanted to return to détente
•He wanted reform
Gorbachev's Mistakes to Reform:
Anti-alcohol campaign - cost state in revenue
Investment in machinery and tool industry with little return
Glasnost backfired in that people began hoarding common goods
Deficit grew annually
He continued the war in Afghanistan too long
His high ranking officials were based on loyalty rather than reform mindedness
The term was interpreted in the west as “openness”
This policy shocked both his people and the west
For the first time since the Tsars a leader encouraged open debate about the country
The results were:
•Less censorship
•A change of view of Soviet history
•Andrei Sakharov was freed from exile (developed the hydrogen bomb in Russia)
•Stalin was denounced
•Gorbachev announced socialism still hadn’t arrived
Perestoika, 1987:
Gorbachev published a book with this title, which means “restructuring” it included:
•Denouncing Stalin
•Notion of one ideology one party
•Admitted that Hungary, 1956 and Czechoslovakia, 1968 were mistakes
•That he wanted to return to détente
•He wanted reform
Gorbachev's Mistakes to Reform:
Anti-alcohol campaign - cost state in revenue
Investment in machinery and tool industry with little return
Glasnost backfired in that people began hoarding common goods
Deficit grew annually
He continued the war in Afghanistan too long
His high ranking officials were based on loyalty rather than reform mindedness