Assertion: Soviet Union collapsed in spite of Gorbachev’s accurate di...
- Gorbachev’s reforms promised to deal with these problems. Gorbachev promised to reform the economy, catch up with the West, and loosen the administrative system. You may wonder why the Soviet Union collapsed in spite of Gorbachev’s accurate diagnosis of the problem and his attempt to implement reforms.
- Here is where the answers become more controversial, and we have to depend on future historians to guide us better. The most basic answer seems to be that when Gorbachev carried out his reforms and loosened the system, he set in motion forces and expectations that few could have predicted and became virtually impossible to control.
- There were sections of Soviet society which felt that Gorbachev should have moved much faster and were disappointed and impatient with his methods. They did not benefit in the way they had hoped, or they benefited too slowly. Others, especially members of the Communist Party and those who were served by the system, took exactly the opposite view. They felt that their power and privileges were eroding and Gorbachev was moving too quickly. In this ‘tug of war’, Gorbachev lost support on all sides and divided public opinion. Even those who were with him became disillusioned as they felt that he did not adequately defend his own policies.
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Assertion: Soviet Union collapsed in spite of Gorbachev’s accurate di...
Assertion: Soviet Union collapsed in spite of Gorbachev’s accurate diagnosis of the problem and his attempt to implement reforms.
Reason: Sections of Soviet society felt that the Gorbachev is moving very fast and is unable to cope with the challenges
Explanation:
The assertion is true that the Soviet Union collapsed in spite of Gorbachev's accurate diagnosis of the problem and his attempt to implement reforms. However, the reason given for the collapse is not entirely correct.
Reasoning that sections of Soviet society felt that Gorbachev was moving too fast and was unable to cope with the challenges is partially true. Gorbachev's reforms, known as perestroika and glasnost, aimed to modernize the Soviet economy and politics. However, the reforms were not welcomed by all sections of society, particularly the hardliners who opposed the changes.
But the major reason for the collapse of the Soviet Union was the economic and political stagnation that had plagued the country for decades. The Soviet economy was heavily centralized, and the government controlled all major industries. This led to inefficiency and corruption, and the economy was unable to keep up with the demands of a modern industrialized world.
Moreover, the Soviet Union was burdened with military spending, and the cost of maintaining a vast military machine drained the economy's resources. These factors, along with the failure of the Soviet government to address the growing demands of its citizens, led to widespread discontent and social unrest.
In conclusion, while the assertion is true that the Soviet Union collapsed in spite of Gorbachev's accurate diagnosis of the problem and his attempt to implement reforms, the given reason is only partially true. The collapse was primarily caused by economic and political stagnation, along with a failure to address the growing demands of citizens.
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