The Gorbachev Era 1985 - 91- Reforms and collapse of the Soviet Union

The first chapter; Brezhnev´s death

Brezhnev´s death in Nov. 1982 meant the end of an 18 years old long era.

He left a country in stagnation, an over dimensioned Nomenclatura, a problematic corruption, bad relations to the West and a war that couldn´t be won.

The funeral became the last bombastic state funeral in Soviet history, few realized that the Soviet Union only had 9 more years to live.

The new Gensek, former KGB leader Yuri Andropov, intensified his campaign against corruption, among the targets were Brezhnev´s daughter.

Other signs of a new leadership was that the character of media information changed, reports abut bad economic news were sanctioned. Andropov had a reputation of being all-seeing. (source: McAuley)

Relations to the West remained frozen, especially after the Korean Airlines incident in 1983.

Gorbachev; the first reforms

Andropov spent 6 of his 15 months in power in hospital. The short period with Chernenko as Gensek, witnessed no changes, but the work for reforms had started under the surface.

Was Gorbachev aware of the overall situation in the Soviet economy?

April 1985 meant the start for a massive campaign against alcoholism, distilleries were closed down and illegal production was targeted (627 000 private distillers were confiscated - source: Persson), vineyards destroyed, but it also meant huge losses of tax-incomes for the state. The budget deficit of the USSR went from 45,5 billlion rubles in 1985 to 93 billion rubles in 1988. (source: McAuley) Black market for alcohol continued to grow.

Andropov´s struggle against corruption continued and was even more intensified under Gorbachev. A high number of high ranked people of the system were arrested.

Gorbachev´s first year also witnessed the start of Glasnost (= openness). Gorbachev meant that the only way to reform the system, was to gradually introduce freedom of speech and uncensored information.

A. Yakovlev, head of the CC department of propaganda, suggested to Gorbachev at the end of 1985 the introduction of a two party system, the election of a Soviet executive president and pro-market reforms. Yakovlev has been seen as one of the main architects behind the Glasnost.

Gradually the censorship started to fade away and criticism started to appear in the media.

Previously censored films were released, churches, mosques and synagogues were returned o believers and writers and poets reappeared in print.

1987 witnessed the first elections to local soviets were electors had a choice of candidates. Gorbachev´s democratic reforms Demokratiztiya were all part of the larger Glasnost concept.

Chernobyl

On Saturday 26.4 1986 reactor number 4 of the Chernobyl atomic power station exploded. A special commission was immediatly sent to the area.

All 43 000 inhabitants of the nearest village, Pripyat, were evacuated. The are contaminated by radiation was estimated at 600 square km.

A considerable risk for an even more serious explosion existed, but was prevented under large sacrifices.

No news reached the Soviet citizens until the May 14.

The costs for Chernobyl were estimated to 18 billion rubles (source: McAuley).

The Chernobyl disaster also meant that pollution and other environmental problems in the USSR were revealed and discussed.

Perestroyka

Aimed at a gradual reformation of the entire economy in order to target productivity and the lack of quality. Initially it was rather vague what the concept of Perestroyka really meant, Yakovlev later meant that it deliberately was kept vague in order to prevent resistance.

An example was that workers were given power to elect managers and that managers should be given more freedom of decision.

The first private enterprises since NEP were accepted, but the price setting remained under state control. Later extending of reforms included joint ventures with western companies and in 1988 the law on cooperatives.

Productivity remained mostly low however and the trade deficit with the West continued to grow, much as an effect of low oil and gas prices.

Increase in wages were not combined to higher productivity and so inflation made the economic crisis worse.

The nationality question

The Soviet Union was a multi ethnic empire, counting a large number of different ethnic groups in many of the Soviet republics. A certain amount of self rule within the frame of the CPSU had always existed, but rivalry also existed, and the Russians were frequently seen as “big brothers”.

With Andropov´s arresting of influential people in several republics, it became clear the central power no longer would hesitate to interfere in former “local issues”.

The growth of regional maffia structures, the economic problems and the new liberal rules for the media were all factors that contributed to growing nationalist tendencies in several Soviet republics.

The Baltic republics and parts of Caucasus, soon turned to the most outspoken nationalist areas in the empire, were demands for independence grew stronger.

Old conflicts came up to the surface and led to open violence between some republics, the most serious between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Sources and suggested further reading

Martin McCauley: The Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union

E. Action & T. Stableford: The Soviet Union, a documentary history

Gudrun Persson: Varför föll Sovjetunionen?

Michail Gorbachev: Perestroyka – the global challange