Failure to reform - The Communist Party and The Soviet Government

Gorbachev’s aims

Aim for Democracy

Freedom of Speech

avoid dangers

Aim for Democracy

wanted to move the one party dictatorship towards a democracy

under communist theory, dictatorship should of been temporary

way to purge conservatives out of the party

Avoid dangers

avoid undermining the party too much with fears of collapse

Freedom of speech

wanted to make people less cynical about communist rule

Reforming the communist party and soviet government

Encouraging debate

purging old members

glasnost

Republic elections

Encouraging debate

1985 Gorbachev tried to open up debate in the party

public was also given access to more records and documents

purging old members

Gorbachev purged old members who had close ties with Brezhnev

Glasnost

one of Gorbachev’s most enduring legacies as leader

‘openness’ relied on the idea that the government had a responsibility to be truthful to the people about Soviet history and its economy.

This included a more liberal approach to the media.

1988: Criticisms of Marx and Lenin began to appear in the press. Foreign media became more widely available.

Party Conference

1988 - elections to soviets

Citizens could choose between different candidates from within the Communist Party.

The first election of this sort took place in 1989. 5 members of the Central Committee lost their seats, and more radical (reforming) Communists were more successful.

Radicals like Boris Yeltsin did well. He won 89% in Moscow

Republic elections

1990 - A further weakening of the Communist Party happened during the nationwide elections of 1990. ‘Democratic Russia’ secured 85% of the seats in Moscow.

It became increasingly clear that Gorbachev’s reforms were backfiring.