Last Soviet Leader Mikhail Gorbachev passes away at 91

                                                                                              Source of Image: Pixabay

Mikhail Gorbachev, considered as one of the world's most influential peacemaker, passed away on August 30, in Moscow, Russia. He was 91 and had been suffering with a difficult and long standing illness. He was known for ending the cold war. He was also the recipient of Nobel peace prize in 1991. 

Although, he was a celebrated leader across Europe as well as the world, but back at home, Russians did not like him very much. The reason for hatred is connected with the belief that he caused the fall of USSR. The dissolution of Soviet led to economic collapse in Russia and associated states as well as it marred the Russia's global influence.

Gorbachev had joined the communist party of Soviet Union when he was just 21 years old. At an early age of 53, he became general secretary of the party, the de facto leader, in 1985, and continued to hold the position until the party was dissolved in 1991. He became the President of the Soviet Union in 1990 and remained so until the country's dissolution next year. He was the eighth and last Soviet Union leader. 

Gorbachev was responsible for launching two major reforms in USSR: Glasnost (Openness) and Perestroika (Restructuring). This happened when Soviet's economy and social order were on the brink of collapse.

The first reform allowed a better and more open policy for freedom of speech and press. This enabled the citizens to voice out their concerns and opinions and criticize the government, which was unthinkable earlier. 

The second reform sought to decentralize economic decision making. He advocated that Soviet must open its market for the world and follow the capitalist way of the west. He pushed for modernization of technology, enhanced worker productivity and efficient and responsive bureaucracy in order to revive the stagnant Soviet power and its collapsed economy.

Gorbachev worked relentlessly, however, his effort to democratize Soviet and decentralize economy resulted in the downfall of communism and dissolution of USSR. This did not go down well with Russians and he was brutally reviled by the citizens. 

Gorbachev is widely known for ending cold war, German reunification, limiting nuclear weapons, withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan.  

He was born in 1931 in a peasant family. As a youth, he worked at a farm operating combine harvesters. In 1948, he and his father harvested 8,000 centners of grain, for which Sergey received Order of Lenin award, while Gorbachev was awarded Order of the Red Banner of Labour. Later, he received his law degree from the Moscow State University in 1955. Although, he joined the Communist Party in 1950 as a candidate member, he only became the full member in 1952. Thus began his political career.

                                                                                                              Source of Image: Pixabay
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