Mikhail Sergeevich Gorbachev was a native of Stavropol, Russia who became one of the most controversial Secretary General of the Communist Party of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. He had worked his way up the political ladder from being a a secretary of the Young Communist League at Moscow University to being the most powerful man in the Soviet Union (“Mikhail Gorbachev,” 2008).
As a leader, Gorbachev’s political career was defined by his bold reforms that were aimed in making the system more systematic and democratic.
Gorbachev was also seen as an antagonist of inefficiency and corruption that resulted to a ‘Gorbachevan’ era of enemy of “glasnost (openness) and perestroika” (reform) (“Mikhail Sergeevich Gorbachev,” 1999). Because of his non-conventional tactics in leading and initiating changes in the Party, he was attributed with a social reformer’s title. He emerged as the man who have ended the cold war (“Mikhail Gorbachev,” 2008).
I think Gorbachev’s major accomplishment was his foreign policies and he was awarded with a Nobel Peace Prize to prove that he indeed made bold actions in reshaping the Soviet Union into a more diplomatic nation.
His achievements in foreign policies were the withdrawal of the Soviet forces from Central Europe to cripple and subjugate “Communist leaders of Soviet satellite states” that resulted to fall of Communism in Europe (“Mikhail Sergeevich Gorbachev,” 1999) and the termination of the adverse involvement of the Soviet military in Afghanistan (“Mikhail Gorbachev,” 2008).
Gorbachev also entered in an agreement with the United States regarding arms control (“Mikhail Sergeevich Gorbachev,” 1999). In short, Gorbachev portrayed the Soviet Union in the world stage as a sociable and accommodating nation particularly to the “United States and other Western capitalist powers” (Kanet, Miner&Resler,1992, p. 223).
However, his success with foreign relations had its downside that severely affected the lives of the Soviets. Before Gorbachev’s reign, the economy of the Soviet Union was already in shambles and the Party greatly needed to improve on its bureaucracy. He addressed these issues by setting out reforms but the Party counterattacked all his initiatives causing a clandestine conflict between the two. Because of this political obstruction, Gorbachev sought the cooperation of the Soviets in integrating democracy in their political system.
Instead of generating a favorable response, the Soviets took their freedom in to a new level and consequently hurting the administration of Gorbachev. The existence of the resistance led Gorbachev to increase his power in the Party by using the military to instill his social and economic reforms (Satter, 1991, p. 1). I believe that because of Gorbachev’s eagerness to fast track the changes in his homeland, he unconsciously or some would say consciously sacrificed his relationship between his political colleagues and his constituents as well.
His quest to both please the Left and the Right resulted to his isolation that coerced him to abandon his position. In terms of his leadership skills, Gorbachev was very efficient in renovating the Soviet Union’s international image. However, his worldly triumph did not trickle down the national level that have caused his downfall as a leader.
For me, in order for leaders of nation to effectively to do their jobs, they must first prioritize the needs and wants of their people before anything else because these are the same people who chose them to be in power. These leaders owe to their constituents the opportunity to govern so in return they must do their best to be efficient leaders amidst internal conflicts and unpopularity.
Overall, Mikhail Gorbachev did justice to his role as the leader of the Soviet Union.
He was able to make significant reforms amid constant scrutiny from his constituents. More so, he had proven that irregardless of one’s political stance and flaws as a leader, he/she can still make a difference and even bring lasting peace to warring nations. However, his incompetence to make a united Soviet Union had consequently mustered a revolution leaving the economy and the social system in recession. So to future leaders, they must learn from the mistakes of Gorbachev in internal governance, on the other hand they should follow Gorbachev’s efforts in initiating and strengthening foreign relations. But aspiring leaders should always remember to prioritize first their people before anything else because change starts from within.
References
CNN Interactive. (2008). Mikhail Sergeevich Gorbachev. Retrieved February 22, 2008, from http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cold.war/kbank/profiles/gorbachev/
Kanet, R.E., Miner, D., & Resler, T.J. (1992). Soviet Foreign Policy in Transition. Cambridge University Press.
Satter, D. (1991 September 23). Why Gorbachev lost – failure of Mikhail Gorbachev’s economic policies before the Soviet coup d’etat. National Review, pp. 1-4.
The Acadaemy of Achievement. (1999). Mikhail Gorbachev. Retrieved February 22, 2008, from http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/gor0bio-1