Glasnost; 1986
- The term was interpreted in the west as “openness”
- This policy shocked both his people and the west
- For the first time since the Tsars a leader encouraged open debate about the country
- The results were:
- Less censorship
- A change of view of Soviet history
- Andrei Sakharov was freed from exile (developed the hydrogen bomb in Russia)
- Stalin was denounced
- Gorbachev announced socialism still hadn’t arrived
Perestroika, 1987
• Gorbachev published a book with this title, which means “restructuring” it included:
• Denouncing Stalin
• Notion of one ideology one party
• Admitted that Hungary, 1956 and Czechoslovakia, 1968 were mistakes
• That he wanted to return to détente
• He wanted reform
• Denouncing Stalin
• Notion of one ideology one party
• Admitted that Hungary, 1956 and Czechoslovakia, 1968 were mistakes
• That he wanted to return to détente
• He wanted reform