Notes on Renewal & End Of The Cold War – Gorbachev & More

Resource Description

Mikhail Gorbachev was a convert to the nuclear disarmament movement. Back in December 1984, Gorbachev had visited the United Kingdom as a member of the politburo. He gave a speech to British parliamentarians, in which he said that the most urgent problem facing the human race was the ‘prevention of nuclear war’. He said the nuclear age needs ‘new political thinking’. With the death of the ailing Yuri Andropov in February 1984, the Soviet leadership was thrown into turmoil. As a former KGB leader, Andropov had been seen as hard-liner in the Party. However, oddly, he had argued against the Soviet Union invading

Poland in 1980 after the emergence of the Solidarity movement. The other surprising thing he did was appoint reform-minded people to the Secretariat. On his death, Andropov was succeeded by Konstantin Chernenko, who was also afflicted with life-threatening health issues. Chernenko lasted 15 months; he died in March 1985. Mikhail Gorbachev succeeded him and became General Secretary of the Communist Party on 11 March 1985.

Solidarity an independent labour union in communist Poland, with over 9 million members, and the first ever in a Soviet-bloc country