Topline
Former Soviet Union President Mikhail Gorbachev has died at age 91, according to multiple reports, more than three decades after he led an unprecedented era of economic reform in the Soviet state that preceded the fall of communism in eastern Europe.
Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev addresses a group of 150 business executives in San Francisco on … [+]
Key Facts
Gorbachev died at Moscow’s Central Clinical Hospital, several Russian outlets reported, though it’s not immediately clear what caused his death.
It was widely reported earlier this summer that Gorbachev was suffering from a serious kidney ailment.
Gorbachev spent decades working up the ranks of the Soviet Communist Party, becoming the country’s leader in 1985 when he was selected as the party’s general secretary.
Gorbachev’s six years as head of the Soviet state were marked by moves toward enhanced individual freedoms and away from the country’s hardline central planning economic model, through his glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring) policies.
Key Background
Gorbachev championed his reforms as a way to preserve the Soviet Union and bring it into the modern world, but they served to hasten the collapse of communism, especially his move to allow for competitive elections. Nationalists swiftly won power in many Soviet member states and declared their independence from the Moscow government, which continued until the Soviet government collapsed on December 26, 1991—a day after Gorbachev resigned. The Soviet collapse was hastened by an unsuccessful coup attempt in August 1991, when hardline Marxist-Leninists attempted to depose Gorbachev. His administration also significantly cooled decades of Cold War tensions between the Soviet Union and U.S., along with Eastern Europe and the West in general. Gorbachev was awarded the Nobel Peace Price in 1990, with the Nobel Committee noting: “During the last few years, dramatic changes have taken place in the relationship between East and West.” Gorbachev attempted a political comeback in 1996 by running for president of Russia, but his image in the country was permanently marred by overseeing the Soviet collapse. He won less than 1% of the vote in the election, which incumbent Russian President Boris Yeltsin won.
Surprising Fact
Gorbachev criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin on numerous occasions, labeling him at one point an “obstacle to progress.”
Tangent
Gorbachev made a two-week visit to the U.S. in 1992, traveling around the country in the Forbes “Capitalist Tool” company jet. During the trip, Gorbachev attended Forbes’ 75th anniversary event at Radio City Music Hall, where he was introduced by editor-in-chief Steve Forbes alongside former President Ronald Reagan.
Further Reading
Capitalism Versus Communism: Who’s Winning The 100-Year War? (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholasreimann/2022/08/30/final-soviet-leader-mikhail-gorbachev-dead-at-91/