(Solution) Hist 410N Week 6 Discussion 1: The End of the Cold War

What impact did Mikhail Gorbachev’s ideas of glasnost (openness), perestroika (restructuring) and demokratizatsiia (democratization) have on Communist society? Were these principles compatible with collectivization and a command economy? Did Communist leaders favor these principles, or did they feel that their hands were tied once they were introduced into Communist society?

Solution:

In the early 1980s, the Soviet Union was facing a wide range of problems.  According to Brower and Sanders (2014), during this time, the economy of the country began to fall particularly when it came to the Agricultural sector. Additionally, the control had inadequate technological advancements, which resulted in the use of inefficient methods in factories.  In order to reform the distraught Soviet Union, the secretary of the Communist Party came up with three primary ideas. These were glasnost (openness), perestroika (restructuring) and demokratizatsiia (democratization).  In regards to the aspect of glasnost, Gorbachev called for transparency in all government dealings. Precisely, he wanted government actions to be more open and transparent for all the people in the country to observe (Vidyarthi, 2016).  Put simply, it meant limiting strict government censorship and granting freedoms of speech.  By….Please click the Paypal icon below to purchase full solution for only $5