Mikhail Gorbachev

Mikhail Gorbachev

Mikhail Gorbachev became Soviet leader in 1985 and was the key reformer of the late Soviet period.

He promoted:

He also reduced Soviet pressure on Eastern Europe and worked with Ronald Reagan to lower nuclear tensions.

Significance

Gorbachev tried to save and reform the Soviet system, but his reforms instead accelerated democratic change, weakened Soviet control in Eastern Europe, and contributed to the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3} :contentReference[oaicite:4]