Mikhail Gorbachev

Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev, born in 1931 and deceased in 2022, was a Soviet and later Russian political figure who presided over the final phase of the Soviet Union. As General Secretary of the Communist Party from 1985 and subsequently as head of state, he introduced significant political and economic reforms that contributed to the profound transformation of the Soviet system. His leadership coincided with the end of the Cold War, the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and the emergence of a new global political landscape.

Background and Early Life

Gorbachev was born in the rural village of Privolnoye in Stavropol Krai, then part of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic. His family came from modest peasant origins, with his father of Russian heritage and his mother of Ukrainian descent. Childhood in the 1930s exposed him to the harsh conditions of famine, collectivisation, and political repression during the Stalin era. Both of his grandfathers were at various times arrested and detained in labour camps, shaping his early understanding of state power and injustice.
Raised in a household affected by wartime hardship, Gorbachev lived for a period with his maternal grandparents on a collective farm. During the Second World War, the village endured occupation, while his father fought on the front lines. As a youth, he demonstrated strong academic abilities and early organisational talent, joining the Komsomol in 1946 and taking active roles in school leadership and community activities. He also assisted his father with agricultural machinery, earning state commendations including the Order of the Red Banner of Labour for outstanding harvest work.

University Education and Early Political Engagement

In 1950, Gorbachev secured admission to Moscow State University, where he studied law. His enrolment reflects both academic merit and the social mobility pathways encouraged for students of working-class backgrounds in the Soviet system. At university he became increasingly involved in Komsomol activities, where he gained a reputation for diligence, responsibility, and diplomacy. His academic work was complemented by growing political consciousness, including a willingness to question aspects of Soviet legal practice.
Gorbachev was formally inducted into the Communist Party in 1952. His time in Moscow expanded his intellectual horizons, exposed him to debates about law and governance, and introduced him to Raisa Titarenko, whom he married in 1953. The couple maintained a prominent public partnership throughout Gorbachev’s career.

Rise Through the Communist Party

Upon graduating in 1955, Gorbachev returned to Stavropol, where he worked in regional party and Komsomol organisations. He supported the de-Stalinisation policies of Nikita Khrushchev, viewing them as essential to modernising Soviet society. Over the next two decades he rose steadily through the party’s regional structures, becoming First Secretary of the Stavropol Regional Committee in 1970. In this capacity, he supervised major development projects, including irrigation works such as the Great Stavropol Canal.
Gorbachev’s administrative competence brought him increasing recognition. In 1978 he moved to Moscow to take up a position as Secretary of the Communist Party’s Central Committee. The following year he became a non-voting member of the Politburo and in 1980 achieved full membership, joining the highest decision-making body of the Soviet leadership.

General Secretary and Reform Efforts

Following the deaths of Leonid Brezhnev, Yuri Andropov, and Konstantin Chernenko in rapid succession, Gorbachev was elected General Secretary in March 1985, becoming the de facto leader of the Soviet Union. Although committed to preserving the socialist system, he believed that deep reforms were vital to secure its future.
Internationally, Gorbachev sought more constructive relations with the West. His engagements with United States President Ronald Reagan produced landmark agreements on nuclear arms control and eased Cold War tensions. He also oversaw the withdrawal of Soviet forces from Afghanistan, recognising the conflict’s economic and political toll.
Domestically, his policies of glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring) represented a major departure from previous governance. Glasnost expanded freedom of expression, increased transparency, and allowed public discussion of historical and political issues. Perestroika attempted to revitalise the planned economy by allowing decentralised decision-making and limited market mechanisms.
These reforms initiated significant shifts in Soviet society. Political pluralism expanded through the establishment of the Congress of People’s Deputies, and the longstanding one-party monopoly weakened. However, the resulting openness also unleashed nationalist movements within the republics of the Soviet Union and protests in Eastern Europe.

Decline of the Soviet Union

During the late 1980s, Warsaw Pact states experienced mass movements demanding democratic change. Gorbachev declined to use force to maintain Soviet dominance in the region, a decision that contributed to the collapse of Communist regimes in eastern and central Europe and facilitated German reunification.
Within the Soviet Union, rising nationalist sentiment and demands for autonomy threatened the state’s integrity. In August 1991, hardline party members launched a coup in an attempt to reverse reforms. The failure of this coup accelerated the disintegration of the Union. By December 1991, the Soviet state had formally dissolved, and Gorbachev resigned as its final president.

Later Activities and Public Legacy

After leaving office, Gorbachev established a foundation dedicated to research and public policy. He remained active in public life, often criticising the direction of post-Soviet Russia under Boris Yeltsin and later Vladimir Putin, advocating instead for social-democratic principles and political pluralism.
Gorbachev’s legacy remains contested. His supporters credit him with reducing global nuclear tensions, ending the Cold War peacefully, and promoting political and economic freedoms. He received numerous honours, including the Nobel Peace Prize. Critics, however, argue that his policies undermined Soviet power and contributed to economic instability and loss of international influence.
Despite differing views, Gorbachev is widely regarded as one of the most influential leaders of the late 20th century. His efforts to reform the Soviet system reshaped not only his own country but also the global order, marking a defining moment in contemporary history.