Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Glasnost and Perestroika
When Gorbachev comes to power in Russia, he wants less of a totalitarian state, and instead, encourages a free flow of ideas. In 1985 he announced glasnost, which was a policy of openness. Soviets were then able to feel more comfortable giving their opinions, even if they were negative. This signified a change in Russia's communist ways, because people were able to give decide what they wanted. Later that year, perestroika was introduced, which was economic restructuring. This was necessary because of the problems that glasnost created. People began fighting and protesting against long lines for common necessities. This new policy allowed local managers to have greater authority over their farms and factories, and people were able to open small private businesses.
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Do you feel that if the Soviet people were given more freedoms and put more resources into rebuilding the economy then the collapse of the Soviet union could have been delayed or even prevented?
ReplyDeleteCitizens felt so much freedom because they have never felt freedom before, but when they explained their thoughts they got punished which I believe was wrong. It is so different because in the U.S. we have always had freedom before, but this wasn't the same case in Russia.
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