The Soviet System and Gorbachev's Reforms

Vocabulary flashcards covering the characteristics, economy, structural flaws, and eventual reform attempts of the Soviet system.

Soviet System

A political and economic order inspired by socialism and the ideal of an egalitarian society, which sought to abolish private property and gave primacy to the state and the Communist Party.

Second World (Socialist Bloc)

The group of East European countries liberated from fascist forces by the Soviet army after the Second World War, whose political and economic systems were modelled after the USSR.

Warsaw Pact

A military alliance that held together the East European socialist bloc countries under the leadership of the USSR.

State Ownership

The dominant form of property ownership in the Soviet Union, in which land and productive assets were completely owned and controlled by the Soviet state.

Soviet Welfare Model

The state-guaranteed minimum standard of living for all citizens, featuring government subsidies for basic necessities such as health, education, childcare, and welfare schemes.

Soviet Domestic Industry

The USSR's manufacturing sector that produced everything from pins to cars, though its production quality generally lagged behind Western capitalist countries.

Communist Party of the Soviet Union

The sole political party permitted in the USSR, which exercised tight, unaccountable control over all state institutions and tolerated no political opposition.

Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan (1979)

A 1979 military intervention that worsened Soviet systemic weaknesses, resulting in technology falling behind the West, consumer goods shortages, rising food imports, and economic stagnation.

Mikhail Gorbachev

The General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, appointed in 1985, who attempted to reform the stagnant Soviet system, democratize governance, and normalize relations with the West.

Fifteen Republics of the USSR

The constituent administrative units that officially formed the Soviet Union, within which Russia disproportionately dominated political and cultural life while suppressing the other fourteen regions.