Gorbachev's new thinking

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Gorbachev's new thinking

Causes

  • -Problems facing the USSR
  • Brezhnev Era - lots of money spent on trying to keep up with the USA developing arms
  • Investment in the Soviet economy was low
  • East living standards were not as good as the West's living standards
  • lack of human rights
  • Poland was threatening the communist government.
  • Soviet troops were ready to invade Poland
  • Poor leadership for many years
  • Most leaders died from poor health

Effects

  • -Gorbachev's policies
  • said that the Soviet state and economy should include practices that made capitalism successful (perestroika)
  • more openness, less corruption in government
  • no one should fear the state from expressing their opinions
  • The Brezhnev Doctrine was dropped
  • USSR would no longer get in domestic affairs of other communist countries
  • USSR would spend less on arms and withdraw from Afghanistan

Overall summary

The American response - Reagan and Gorbachev both worked together to attempt to end the Cold War and Reagan was still tough on communism.

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