To what extend did Gorbachev bring change in the Soviet Union?
It was the first time for many years in the Soviet Union, that a relatively young General Secretary was appointed. It was Michael Gorbachev, who became leader of the USSR in 1985. Gorbachev intended on reforming the Soviet Union. He said once to his wife: “Things cannot go on as they are”, but did he really bring change in the communistic system or did he just follow the path of his previous leaders?
To answer this question it is significant to consider the circumstances in which Gorbachev came to power. The majority of Soviet Party members were appointed by Brezhnev, they rejected any change, because they feared losing power. Further, the previous years were characterized by economic stagnation.
Gorbachev wanted to foster Soviet economy, therefore he introduced Perestroika, a reform that included reconstruction of the economy to make it more efficient. The ideal was an economy with aspects of a free market on the base of a command economy, which transferred economic power that previously only the government held, also to Individuals. Effects were soon visible, in 1988 “60 percent of state enterprises moved away from state control”(History a Comprehensive Guide to Paper 1, p.191). However this reform did not lead to an increase of goods, but to as shortage of essential goods like soap or razor blades (History a Comprehensive Guide to Paper 1, p.191). The control of alcohol was an additional reform to stimulate economy, because alcohol worsened efficiency at work. However this policy rather achieved the opposite, an increasing black economy for alcohol, which was not taxed. Other economic reforms intended by Gorbachev, for example the leasing of land to peasants from collective farms where not even established, because “no one really wanted to deal with change” (History a Comprehensive Guide to Paper 1, p.189).
