The significance of Gorbachev’s ‘new thinking’

• Gorbachev took over the USSR in 1985 and wanted to reform the Soviet Union and its relationship with its citizens
• Perestroika (reconstruction) was a programme for reorganising and reconstructing the Soviet state and economy in order to include some capitalist practices which would bring growth
• Glasnost (openness) meant there should be more transparency in government and move away from corruption. Glasnost would allow opposition to the government and freedom of speech
• The Brezhnev Doctrine ended
• The USSR would pull out of Afghanistan and reduce its spending on arms
• Consequently for relations with the USA, USA and USSR relations improved as Gorbachev did not seek to expand Communism
• Consequently for relations with the USA, Reagan could work with Gorbachev to bring the Cold War to an end whilst maintaining his overall aim of maintaining US dominance on the world stage
• Consequently for relations with the USA, a reduction in military spending would be advantageous for USA as well as the USSR
• Consequently for relations with the USA, it contributed to the summit meetings of the 1980s, and the Intermediate-Range Nuciear Force (INF) Treaty of 1987, which said that both countries would abolish all land-based missiles with a range of 500-5000 miles
• Consequently for Eastern Europe, the removal of the Brezhnev Doctrine meant the satellite states would no longer fear violent reprisals from the USSR if they instituted economic and social reforms
• Consequently for Eastern Europe, Gorbachev gave a speech to the UN in 1988 where he announced that there would be a reduction of 500000 Warsaw Pact troops in Eastern Europe, further reducing Soviet control
• Consequently for Eastern Europe, within twelve months of Gorbachev’s speech to the UN, the Soviet hold over the satellite states had ended, as one by one they introduced democratic governments