Mikhail Gorbachev, former leader of the Soviet Union and Nobel Peace Prize winner, is credited with helping to end the Cold War. He implemented radical domestic policies to improve the economy and living standards, but they ultimately weakened the country. Gorbachev advocated for ending the arms race with the West and became the first president of the Soviet Union, but was forced to step down as the country disintegrated. He is recognized as a strong influence for world freedom and remains politically active on a global scale.
Mikhail Gorbachev, 1990 Nobel Peace Prize winner and former leader of the Soviet Union, is the man the Western world credits with helping to end the Cold War. He is most famous for his unique birthmark located on top of his head. The Russian politician graced the cover of Time magazine several times while in office, including as Man of the Year in 1988. Gorbachev is considered by many to be one of the most innovative and revolutionary world leaders of all time.
Mikhail Gorbachev was born on March 2, 1931 into a poor family who lived near Stavropol. Despite his family’s economic standing, Mikhail joined the Communist Party and received a law degree from Moscow University in 1953. His political career began in the early 1960s when he became head of the Moscow region’s agriculture department. Stavropol. Over the next two decades, he attracted the attention of key party political figures who shared an interest in political reform and ending corruption and inefficiency within the country’s government.
At the age of 54, Gorbachev was elected General Secretary of the Communist Party. Although many of his ideas were considered radical at the time, he began implementing domestic policies that he hoped would help the economy and improve living standards in the Soviet Union. Starting early in office on alcohol reform, a move Gorbachev hoped would reduce Russia’s soaring alcoholism rates, many of his policies have weakened an already stalled economy.
Although many in his country saw Gorbachev as a threat to domestic stability, foreign policy presented different challenges. From the beginning of his six-year term, he advocated ending the arms race with the West. His political initiatives served as a positive catalyst for freedom and democracy, but his economic policies were slowly causing the collapse of the country. As political reform progressed, the Communist Party of the Soviet Union began to spiral out of control.
Gorbachev became the first president of the Soviet Union, elected by the Congress of People’s Deputies on March 15, 1990. The newly elected president created a presidential council of 15 politicians, but his position would be short-lived as the Soviet Union had already begun to disintegrate. As Boris Yeltsin (1931 – 2007) gained popularity and power as President of the Russian Federation, following the Soviet coup attempt in 1991, Gorbachev was forced to step down as President of a country that no longer existed.
Mikhail Gorbachev is widely recognized as a strong influence and perpetuator of world freedom. He was the first recipient of the Ronald Reagan Freedom Award in 1992, having previously received a Nobel Peace Prize. Even after his resignation from political office, he continued to remain politically active on a global scale and represented Russia at Ronald Reagan’s funeral in 2004.
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