Mikhail Gorbachev

On March 11, 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev was elected General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, succeeding Konstantin Chernenko. This position made him the de facto leader of the USSR, and he immediately began advocating for reforms to address economic stagnation and political corruption.

In 1986, Gorbachev introduced glasnost, a policy of openness and transparency in government institutions and media. This allowed for public discussion of previously taboo topics, criticism of officials, and the release of political prisoners, but also fueled nationalist movements and demands for independence in Soviet republics.

In 1986, Gorbachev launched perestroika, a series of economic reforms aimed at restructuring the Soviet economy by introducing elements of market mechanisms and decentralization. The reforms sought to increase efficiency and productivity but led to economic disruption and shortages, contributing to the eventual collapse of the Soviet system.

On December 8, 1987, Gorbachev and U.S. President Ronald Reagan signed the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty in Washington, D.C. This treaty eliminated an entire class of nuclear missiles (land-based intermediate-range) and marked a major step in ending the Cold War arms race.

On December 25, 1991, Gorbachev resigned as President of the Soviet Union, acknowledging the dissolution of the USSR into 15 independent republics. His resignation followed the failed August 1991 coup by hardliners and the declaration of independence by several republics, ending 74 years of Soviet rule.