Problems in the Brezhnev era

who is Gorbachev

General secretary of the Communist Party from 1985-1991, and president of the Soviet Union from 1990-1991. He had been a member of the Politburo since 1980. He is regarded as being responsible for ending the Cold War & for the disintegration of the Soviet Union & its satellite states.

In 1972 & 1975…

the USSR suffered a series of crop failures leading to food shortages which exacerbated economic distress

how much was the US spending on its military

The USSR was spending 25% of GNP (gross national product) from 1964-1982 on the military (including the navy & space programme) to catch up to the US

how were Brezhnev’s reforms blocked

by hardliners who feared a shift to capitalism

what happened as living standards stagnated

Morale & productivity declines

The availability of consumer goods remained…

limited except on the black market which flourished

what were problems with oil

The USSR struggled to increase production in oil to take advantage of the high demand for oil in high prices in the 1970s

what was Brezhnev successful in

reversing some of the effects of collectivisation in farming

when did Brezhnev die

November 1982

who succeeded Brezhnev

Yuri Andropov (Nov 1982-Feb 1984)

who followed Andropov

Chernenko (Feb 1984-March 1985)

how did Gorbachev plan to strengthen & maintain its position as a communist superpower the USSR

by improving the Soviet economy

what did Gorbachev believe about improving the economy?

would lead to improved political, idealogical & foreign policy positions for the USSR

what did Gorbachev believe about the nuclear weapons as a way of securing the USSRs position

that the threat of nuclear weapons could not aid the position of the USSR in the long-term

what was the problem with the Soviet economy?

The USSR’s economic system was based on an inflexible system of central planning which was based on the meeting of targets set by the central government who rejected innovation and change of management because of a desire for uniformity.

The Soviet economy was driven by…

ideological conviction rather than global interaction undermining Soviet economic growth.

…was a common feature of Soviet life - it led to losses in productivity through worker absenteeism.

Alcoholism

Alcoholism led to …

losses in productivity through worker absenteeism

The …. in the Soviet economy stifled growth and business innovation

lack of foreign direct investment

The lack of foreign direct investment in the Soviet economy…

stifled growth and business innovation

why did the lack of foreign direct investment in the Soviet economy stifled growth and business innovation?

the state held absolute monopoly which focussed on centralised control & planning - there was little recognition of consumer demand

what led to unrest & frequent strikes which undermined productivity?

Worker’s wages did not rise with inflation