Due April 28, 2012

“Hunter Huss IB Readings”

April 19, 2012 Due April 28, 2012

Gorbachev was the last communist leader of the Soviet Union before the country collapsed. He is revered in the west and seen as a traitor in the east. Which is he? Was he a relic of a political system that didn’t work or was he someone trying to help his country by changing it? Read THE WHOLE interview with Gorbachev below (there are 4 pages – click on next or the page number). Cite and quote specific things he says to answer the questions. OPVL this interview and, based upon your knowledge (and research), answer: What regrets does Gorbachev had? Could he have saved the Soviet Union? Should he have even tried to fix something that was so broken? Do you see any lessons for our own future in his words?

http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,780526,00.html

For extra credit, and especially helpful if you are taking the IB exam, you can also OPVL the following link and explain what your opinion is of the secret documents from the end of the Soviet Union. Could the communist government have been preserved? If so, how? What is the future of Russia?

http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,779277,00.html

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Permalink # Kaela said

I think Gorbachev should be revered, he wasn’t perfect but he started changes that the people of the USSR desperately wanted and needed, which no other leader had done for the people. ( I said to him: The situation is serious, and the people are demanding change. It can’t be forced, even though it’s risky, even dangerous. Let’s tackle this together. -page 1)
If Gorbachev had been able to stay in power he really could have kept independent nations in the USSR through choice, instead of cowering, powerless ones through fear and dependence like his predecessors. (First we had to lead the people out of torpor. The party establishment didn’t need perestroika. Each of them had it made. The district party leader was the king in his district, the regional leader was a czar and the general secretary was practically God’s equal. That’s why we needed glasnost — openness — first. It was the path to freedom. We later conducted the first free elections in Russia in 1,000 years.-page 1)
O- Speigel International Interview
P-to discuss the ending of the USSR , his failures and the events that followed his loss of power.
V- this interview gives a honest answer to some of the biggest and toughest questions about the fall of the USSR, from the leader present during the collapse.
L-this interview has only Gorbachev’s opinion although he is and was a huge part of Russia.

Gorbachev regrets not moving sooner towards reform and being scared/hesitant to do tear the whole old system down and build a new one ( I joined the Communist Party at 19, when I was still in school. My father had been on the front and my grandfather was an old communist — and I was supposed to blow the whole thing up? Today I know that I should have done it.-page 2)

He could have saved the USSR, he was on his way to saving it. He was allowing, hoping for and respecting independent decision made by satellite nations (but that it was a decision for the Ukrainian parliament to make, and that Moscow would not oppose Ukrainian independence-page 3) (After all, all other republics had already declared their independence, as a sign of greater sovereignty- page 3)

I think that Gorbachev was right to try to save the USSR and would have doe so if he remained in power. He wasn’t just trying to keep the old system working, he was reworking it to make it a new system based on the principles that had long since been established and ignored.

I don’t see that we are in danger of the issues in the USSR, and in present day Russia that he mentioned, I do believe other countries with dictators and authoritarian governments are.

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Permalink # Ricky Accurso said

I think that Gorbachev regrets not breaking up the Communist party when he had the chance to when he was 19 “Today I know that I should have done it”. It is referring to the creation of a schism. I think he also regrets making Kryuchkov apart of his government. “and he later staged a coup against me.” He regrets going on vacation before the coup occured “I was tired and at my limits. But I shouldn’t have gone away. It was a mistake.”
I think that he may not of been able to save the USSR but the USSR could of been saved. If change could of happened earlier then it things would not of escilated the way they did when he was in charge. “And it could have. It’s just that we were too late in beginning to reform it. Some wanted a federation, but the majority of the republics wanted a united state with elements of a confederation”
No i do not think that he should of tried to change the USSR that late in the game. By him trying to change it he devestated 1000s of people who had lived under the Stalinistic communism. ” That means that the union was destroyed against the will of the people, and it was done deliberately — with the participation of the Russian leadership, on the one hand, and that of the putschists, on the other.”
I do not see any lessons to be specifically from his words. I do see that he saying that his failures and the failures of his party are what casued the evident decline of the USSR. He gives ideas for how he could of bettered the USSR and how it could of been saved, but i dont see any advice that could be used in todays world.
O- THe origin of this is interview is between Gorbachev and and the interviewer, SPIEGEL.
P- THe purpose of this interview is to talk to Gorbachev and get an understanding of the causes and effects of the decisions that he made during his time of leadership of the USSR. Also this interview talks about his relations with other leaders during his time.
V_THis interview is valuable because it gives clear information on Gorbachevs life while he was in office.
L- This interviewer of this interview does not seem to have a very good opinion of Gorbachev. THe way he asks questions make it seem like Gorbachev was the bad guy.

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Permalink # fly4awhiteguy said

After the extensive interview I have come to realize that, from what Gorbachev stated on page two, “what was I supposed do, blow the whole idea up?”; which is an ironic bomb reference by the way, he goes on to talk about how he didn’t have much choice in the whole communist matter since his father and grandfather were involved in those matters. That struck me as a huge regret, however fictitious it might be. I also don’t believe he alone could save the Soviet Union because it seems as if he could barely understand what was going on with the choices people were making that he helped to elect; such as the KGB “influence” on politics. Who knows, he might have had something to do with it himself. From a personal opinion, he has had too much time in office and I honestly don’t believe, even if he tried his hardest, he could fix the gaps in the Soviet Union because of the lack of support from other nations during the coup of ’91, in which the only support he had was from France. I think we could learn from this by being more careful in who we elect into the presidential position. As there weren’t many choices here, we basically only have two main choices for president. Americans as a whole shouldn’t be so close minded that they camp at the top of the peak named “Forlorn Hope”; otherwise saying, maybe the third party members deserve a chance.

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Permalink # #Spongebobswifey said

I think Gorbachev was really trying to make a change. Even though you can’t solely believe what you hear but by the way he talked about it just like he said in the article http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,780526,00.html “Politics is my second love, next to my love for Raisa” I certainly see that in his words.
O-Spiegel Interview with Mikhail Gorbachev
P-To talk to Gorbachev to get an understanding and a view from an authority at the time
V-It gives the view of Gorbachev’s thought and why he thought it while he was in office. Also it’s actually Gorbachev himself and not someone trying to analyze how he really felt.
L-This is only the opinion of Gorbachev. The answers are going to differ because of his leadership plus his thoughts and feelings. The true ones may be contradictory in a way.
I agree with Kaela. ” I joined the Communist Party at 19, when I was still in school. My father had been on the front and my grandfather was an old communist — and I was supposed to blow the whole thing up? Today I know that I should have done it.”-page 1-2 He regrets that he didn’t make the whole change when he had a chance and that he was hesitant about doing so. Maybe he could have saved the Soviet just maybe. Yes then no about him fixing something so broken. It is obviously a full blown challenge bu the man said that’s where his heart is-politics. So when your heart is there you will go all out for it. That’s what he did but there was still that little spot of ‘what if’. The lesson here is if there is something that is in your heart go for it all out no holding back. Also second guessing yourself can cost you in the long run. 9 times out of ten if you rethink you gut feeling, it may be wrong.

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- Permalink # #Spongebobswifey said
  
  and about the secret documents all I could say was wow. No I don’t really understand a lot about history and it ain’t my thing but yea wow. I think they were a vital part of the Soviet history but to be honest I couldn’t tell you why I think that for the life of me. lol don’t be disappointed!
  O-The Gorbachev Files
  P-Documents revealing truths about things that could have made a huge difference
  V-It helps us see a deeper more condensed view and side of things. Helps connect more dots.
  L-They came from Gorbachev. What he wrote down might not be exactly the same as what he heard. His perception matters.
  
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Permalink # calebbynum said

Gorbachev should be revered by the world for his part in the destruction of the Soviet Union, even if it was not on purpose. He listened to the people and created the change that they so badly wanted. “The situation is serious, and the people are demanding change. It can’t be forced, even though it’s risky, even dangerous. Let’s tackle this together. Gromyko replied that he agreed with me completely.” (pg. 1) This was a dangerous idea, and it could cause you to end up in Magadan. At the time Magadan was a major transit center for prisoners sent to labor camps, and it was where people with “new” ideas were sent. Many people criticized Gorbachev because he did not have a set plan or a supporting team, but he would have been ridiculed for these ideas. “Both of you were very familiar with the Soviet Union. Don’t you remember what kind of a country it was? All it took was a tiny political joke to end up in Magadan. And I was supposed to have a plan and a supporting team?” (pg. 1) This shows that Gorbachev new the danger, but he still did what the people wanted. This is what makes him someone to be revered instead of traitor.

O- The origin of this document is an interview with Mikhail Gorbachev.
P- The purpose of this interview was to get Gorbachev’s view on questions, and also to let him tell his regrets.
V- The value of this document is that it gives the exact answers as given by Gorbachev, instead of other people’s thoughts on his actions.
L- The limitation of this document is that the text does not allow you to hear the tone of voice or any emotion he may have felt.

“My goal was to avoid bloodshed. But unfortunately there was some bloodshed, after all. It also troubles me that I didn’t resolve the problem with the Communist Party in time. And that I underestimated the fact that the establishment in the other national republics wanted to decide issues relating to their own lives on their own, without anyone from the central government getting involved.” (pg. 3) Gorbachev regretted not acting in time to save the union, and not preventing the bloodshed of “his” people.
Gorbachev most likely could not have saved the union, because he had so many different people working against him. It is hard to fix something when someone else is already tearing it apart. The Soviet Union was a good idea, but it needed to be reformed. However, it should not have been completely destroyed because the city states had become specialized in a certain area. This meant that trade had to happen between the states anyways.

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Permalink # dancan16 said

I think that Gorbechav tried to keep the USSR established as Russias government but it just seemed that there were to many condescending forces working against him.In the article part 2: http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,780526-2,00.html, it states how he elected the KGB leader Vladimir Kryuchkov that he didnt know to well who committed acts that Gorbechav had no part in or even knew that they were going on at the time. So in ways it made Gorbechav look like he had no control over the KGB when he denied knowing about it. It also made him look like he had something to do with it and made him look corrupt.The USSR would definitely not have been an easy thing to keep together and functioning.Gorbechav seemed to have done everything in his power to not give up on it.He quit the planery chamber for 3 hours before returning as it states in part 2 of the article.It seemed to me as if he truly tried to do good for the USSR but it just wasnt going to work.His attempts to get the Ukraine to sign the new union agreement in part 3 http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,780526-3,00.html, considering that they were the only country that was doubted to sign, agree, and participate in the new union shows that he made the extra efforts to keep the USSR up and running and to get every country on the same page.
O-SPIEGEL Interview with Mikhail Gorbachev
P-To inform you of Spiegals interview with Gorbechav and the questions and responses that took place in it.
V-Shows us how Gorbechav tried everything he could in order to preserve the USSR.
L-We dont know if Gorbechav was telling the truth about not knowing what the KGB was doing behind his back.
Q-1.That there was bloodshed because that was the thing that he was trying to avoid.
2.He tried his hardest to save it but it didnt seem to work out so no.
3.Yes because theres always hope for something you believe in and is worth fighting for so yes he definitely wasnt in the wrong for trying to save the USSR because thats what he believed in and thats what he knew.
4.Yes maybe that as the 4th part of the interviews heading states “Democracy will Prevail”, shows that the U.S. has been the only countries government not to fail or collapse so we must be doing something right.

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Permalink # shoneef94 said

I think Gorbachev’s failure was that he didnt discuss more important things openly wat he wanted to and for not breaking the communist party. I think he could’ve saved th S.U. He was a good leader. I think he was just trying to give the people change like they wanted, he knew he could do it, with a little help. But the other guys was jealous of him, because they knew he was going to be elected. A lesson for our future is we need to lookout for the people that’s trying to make this country instead of breaking it, most people don’t know who is in office and who is not doing there job.

By the documents that were writtin, I think the documents would have have helped this country a lot, only if the as.U had stayed together and read the documents and enforced the what needs to happen with what is taking place in our country.

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Permalink # Brayan Salazar said

This interview reminds us that Gorbachev had been through a lot in his years in office. “I’ve gone through three operations in the last five years.” I think to a certain extent he was a good leader. He tried to political, and economic reforms, but he had no control of the bad economy, and of what was going to happen.
I think that he wanted to do more, and that was his one regret because he says he “joined the communist party at 19.”, and then says “I know I should have done it.” I think that he was on a path to saving USSR, if he had stayed in power i think he would have done just that.
I personally dont see how right now the U.S. is facing what the USSR was facing, but I believe that his words could be useful for other countries that have not got rid of dictators.

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Permalink # huntercochran said

Gorbachev should be revered, especially for his help in destroying the Soviet Union, even though it might not have been entirely on purpose. He gave the people what they desired. “The situation is serious, and the people are demanding change. It can’t be forced, even though it’s risky, even dangerous. Let’s tackle this together.” (pg.1). This was going to be a dangerous plan, but it helped in the long run. “Both of you were very familiar with the Soviet Union. Don’t you remember what kind of a country it was? All it took was a tiny political joke to end up in Magadan. And I was supposed to have a plan and a supporting team? First we had to lead the people out of torpor. The party establishment didn’t need perestroika. Each of them had it made. The district party leader was the king in his district, the regional leader was a czar and the general secretary was practically God’s equal. That’s why we needed glasnost — openness — first. It was the path to freedom. We later conducted the first free elections in Russia in 1,000 years.” (pg.1). “The Soviet Communist Party was a huge machine. At some point, it began throwing spokes into the wheels. It was the initiator of perestroika, but then it became its biggest obstacle. I understood that nothing would work without deep-seated political reforms. After suffering a defeat in the first democratic elections, the establishment joined forces and openly attacked me at a meeting of the party leadership. That was when I announced my resignation and left the plenary chamber.” (pg.2). Gorbachev had it rough, especially since he was attacked. “SPIEGEL: There is a theory that you often repeat, but that we are unable to understand, namely that the Soviet Union could still have been saved even after the coup.
Gorbachev: And it could have. It’s just that we were too late in beginning to reform it. Some wanted a federation, but the majority of the republics wanted a united state with elements of a confederation. Then I proposed a referendum. When we voted on the proposal, Yeltsin angrily slammed his fist on the table. He was against it, of course. He announced openly that he could no longer work with Gorbachev, and that they had to part ways with him. Then came the referendum, and the people supported me.” (pg.2). This tells us that he may have been able to save the Soviet Union, but they were too late in the beginning, and too many people did not want to go back to that type of government.

O- The origin of this document is the interview of Mikhail Gorbachev.
P- The purpose of this interview was to have Gorbachev answer questions and tell of how the Soviet Union came down and never went back up.
V- The value of the interview is to get Gorbachev’s answers, not other people’s answers for Gorbachev.
L- The limitation of the document is not knowing the emotion behind the words of Gorbachev, we can’t read it just like if we were actually in the room seeing and hearing it ourselves.

Gorbachev was trying to avoid bloodshed, but unfortunately, the bloodshed happened. Gorbachev most likely would have never gotten the Soviet Union revived because of the many people who opposed him, and when you have a lot of people opposing you, there’s not much you can do. Gorbachev will go down in Russian history, and he should be revered for what he has done.

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Permalink # giiirrrlll said

I think that Gorbachev wasn’t a traitor because he repeatedly says that he tried reforming and he said “the union was destroyed against the will of the people” in http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,780526,00.html. I believe that Gorbachev wasn’t a relic but someone that was trying to help his country…because he even said “ I explained to her that I wouldn’t turn them down, because people would interpret that as political cowardice.” To his wife and that that was why he was going to accept being the new general secretary. Also he admits that he favored people he didn’t know very well and admits making mistakes in favoring them because they later betrayed him and went against him.

O: Spiegel Interview with Mikhail Gorbachev. http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,780526,00.html .
P: To tell us about how they were truly idiots and about how Gorbachev attempted to solve problems with the communist party and the murder that occurred right after.
V: We know that Gorbachev says that he tried reforming, that he was betrayed by (Vladimir) Kryuchkov, and that he says that most things were being done behind his back.
L: We only know things about one person directly in other words we only got person interviewed.

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Permalink # chelseaclark2013 said

In my opinion Gorbachev should be revered. I think this because of his willingness to give the people of the soviet union what they wanted, which was change. Also because of him, the Soviet Union collapsed, which wasn’t intentional.And in the end i think he was someone who was trying to help his country by trying to give the people what they desired, change.
O- Speigel interview with Mikhail Gorbachev, 8/16/11.
P- Gorbachev discusses with Speigel how the Soviet Union collapsed.
V- He was the last communist leader of the Soviet Union, his insight on this was very interesting.
L- Speigel comes off very bias throughout the interview.

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Permalink # wendyburris2013 said

1. What regrets does Gorbachev had?

” Yes, I did make (Vladimir) Kryuchkov head of the KGB, and he later staged a coup against me. ”

i think this could be one of his regrets . this really shows that you can never trust anyone .

” You really didn’t know that the army violently suppressed the independence movement in Tbilisi and Vilnius? ”

he could have also had regrets about this . reading this so far it seems like everybody did alot of things beind his back . For example , his having wires in his walls b/c people were trying to spy , the guy who staged a coup on him , the guy who ran him out of office , and now this !

2. Could he have saved the Soviet Union?

” Then I proposed a referendum. When we voted on the proposal, Yeltsin angrily slammed his fist on the table. He was against it, of course. He announced openly that he could no longer work with Gorbachev, and that they had to part ways with him. Then came the referendum, and the people supported me. ”

i don’t think that Gorbachev could have saved the Soviet Union by his self . throughout this whole interview it just seemed like people were doing things behind his back . he needed help getting the Soviet Union back on there feet .

3. Should he have even tried to fix something that was so broken?

” The situation is serious, and the people are demanding change. It can’t be forced, even though it’s risky, even dangerous. ”

i dont think he should have even bothered . but after all , he was only doing what the people wanted . he was giving them change .

4. Do you see any lessons for our own future in his words?

For our future , i think our leaders should be informed on whats going on around them and not be clueless like this guy .

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Permalink # Razhede (a.k.a Mr. 27 a.k.a Mr Go and Get It a.k.a Mr. every good name you can think of) said

I think Gorbachev should be revered for the simple fact his intentions were good and his motives were clear, its just that many proclaims him a faliure for the simple fact lots did not agree and therfore his plans where major failures. “The Soviet Communist Party was a huge machine. At some point, it began throwing spokes into the wheels. It was the initiator of perestroika, but then it became its biggest obstacle. I understood that nothing would work without deep-seated political reforms. After suffering a defeat in the first democratic elections, the establishment joined forces and openly attacked me at a meeting of the party leadership.”
O- Spiegel Interview
P- To show Gorbachev views on why he felt the end to the USSR was brought to an end
V- It gives an insight on exactly how Gorbachev viewed all aspects of his self and his involvement with the USSR
L- It seems that Spiegel question formations are formed to get a biased answer from Gorbachev, it seems as though he is trying to attack Gorbachev. “There you go again! Yes, I did make (Vladimir) Kryuchkov head of the KGB, and he later staged a coup against me” page 2

ONe thing I know Gorbachev regretted is that him trying to carry out his plan lead to lots of unrest and blood shed, and another was that he ever gave Vladimir Kryuchkov head of the KGB ( Got from person Above me), who later lead a coup against him. I dont think he had a chance at saving the soviet union for the simple fact he had to much opposition.

Each country is different……. but reforms have to be advanced in different ways
I feel this is a lesson for my future because as the years go on more countries depend on each other or they are trying to hang with the big dog..but i feel that the leaders have to realize that every country is different there for you cant try to make your country thrive on ideas that are not custom to them. *sighs* this was a long blog noblitt

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Permalink # ravenwomic said

” : The Soviet Communist Party was a huge machine. At some point, it began throwing spokes into the wheels. It was the initiator of perestroika, but then it became its biggest obstacle.”
I think he really regretted letting everything get out of hand. He definitely went along with what everybody else wanted and he didn’t always think for himself. Bitch, he was just doing what he thought was right for the Soviet union. He couldn’t have saved it by his self because he had too many people secretly against him. They wired his walls just to spy on him. The people wanted change and he thought he could be the one to give it to them. In the future our leaders should make sure there aren’t too many people secretly against them.

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Permalink # Brandon Robinson said

I think Gorbachev is revered bc the choices he made throughout his lifetime would really percieve him as a “traitor”. He just always wanted to do what was right.
O- Gorbachev interview
P-To find out all unanswered questions about the Soviet Union
V-It gives more of an insight of what Gorbachev’s life is like and the type of person he is.
L-The interviewer could have had more hard-hitting questions

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Permalink # Julius "SO SEXY" Blue said

O – The origin of this document is that its an interview of Gorbachev (leader of the USSR) by Spiegel.This interview was conducted August 16, 2011.

P – To discuss the ending of the USSR, Gorbachev failures and at times it hints on the corruptness of the Soviet Union.

V – It shows Gorbachev interpretation on how he conducted himself as a leader and shows how he feel towards his plans that were put into place.

L – The entire limitation is that they are interviewing Gorbachev about his own policies. Gorbachev would automatically have a bias towards his own feelings. Also the interviewer and Gorbachev does not see eye to eye, so at times its like the interviewer says stuff to spark negative reactions.

Gorbachev at the point of where he was in his political career could not have saved the Soviet Union. Gorbachev did not have much knowledge about the political bureau in the USSR. He had grown up and been bred in communism and just basically went with the flow. “The next charge is that you lacked sufficient insight into human nature for the job. Many comrades whose advancement you facilitated betrayed you later on. That too is certainly hard to deny.” From the quote you see that Gorbachev could not have saved the Soviet Union, because he didn’t know what he was doing. Gorbachev was a puppet, he put people into power that had opposed him.
“I supported it. He was energetic, and it took a long time for me to recognize my mistake. He was extremely infatuated with power, haughty and thirsting for glory, a domineering person. ” Gorbachev main regret was that he put people into power that were just like Stalin power hungry. Gorbachev also regret was that a lot of the political events going on in the satellite countries were being done behind his back and he had no knowledge of them.

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Permalink # nikiafleshman said

I think that Gorbachev should be revered because he gave the people what they wanted, which was change. He had somewhat of a helping hand in the collapse of the soviet union which was a good thing. But he didnt really have a handle on all of the other bad things that were going on there. Some aspects of the country just could not be saved. “The situation is serious, and the people are demanding change. It can’t be forced, even though it’s risky, even dangerous. Let’s tackle this together.” I dont think these are the words of a traitor, i think that his intentions were good in helping the country, but just didnt turn out the way that he had planned. He probably regretted not coming between the Communist party earlier so that it wouldnt have come down to the things it did. I think some lessons that could be taken are leader should have a handle on everything and know everything that is going on around them.

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Permalink # Julius "SO SEXY" Blue said

Bro I had to use my dad’s email since mine wasn’t working and only had time to copy and paste part of it in. Thats what the post is above me. I only went over 3 minutes but it was done.

Honestly I believe Gorbachev should had just given up. There were too many people that were pulling and tugging him into different directions. For example: ” And it could have. It’s just that we were too late in beginning to reform it. Some wanted a federation, but the majority of the republics wanted a united state with elements of a confederation.”

Gorbachev could not get anything done when there were people opposing each other. It was just like in the Civil War times of the United states, Democrats and Republicans just went against what the others said for pride reasons mostly.

The major lesson that I see looking at the interview and Gorbachev hinted on is that the Soviet Union was just too big. I mean Gorbachev could not possible keep control over all these little countries and keep Russia under control at the same time. ” I lived in a country in which the people spoke 225 languages and dialects, and where all religions existed.” just imagine this place with that many dialects. There is no way possible that one man could have even begin to help control the problems, especially since the politburo was not effective.

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Permalink # Chloe said

Gorbachev should be revered due to his role in destroying the Soviet Union, (accidentally). He was concerned for the people and created the change they demanded.
“Gorbachev: Let’s take one thing at a time. I would launch perestroika in exactly the same way today. “We can’t go on living this way.” That was our slogan. “I want changes,” Viktor Zoi, the pioneer of Russian rock music, sang.
SPIEGEL: But you lacked a concept for these changes.
Gorbachev: If I had had a plan for it, I would have quickly ended up in Magadan” (pg 1)
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,780526,00.html
If he would have stayed in power for a longer period of time he could have fixed the major problems “(First we had to lead the people out of torpor. The party establishment didn’t need perestroika. Each of them had it made. The district party leader was the king in his district, the regional leader was a czar and the general secretary was practically God’s equal. That’s why we needed glasnost — openness — first. It was the path to freedom. We later conducted the first free elections in Russia in 1,000 years.-page 1)

O:The origin of this is interview is a conervation between Gorbachev and and the interviewer, SPIEGEL.

P: The purpose of this interview is to discuss questions with Gorbachev to get an understanding of the causes and effects of the decisions that he made during his time of leadership of the USSR. Also this interview talks about his opinions and relations with other leaders during his time.

V: This interview is valuable because its an actual conversation with Gorbachev that expresses his real thoughts and views.

L: The limitation of this interview would be its limited because its only based on the interviewers questions only!

Gorbachevs only regret would be not moving in sooner and bloodshed.
“My goal was to avoid bloodshed. But unfortunately there was some bloodshed, after all. It also troubles me that I didn’t resolve the problem with the Communist Party in time. ” (pg 3)

Could he have saved the Soviet Union? No he couldn’t. Mainly because he tried all that he could do. “Then I proposed a referendum. When we voted on the proposal, Yeltsin angrily slammed his fist on the table. He was against it, of course. He announced openly that he could no longer work with Gorbachev, and that they had to part ways with him. Then came the referendum, and the people supported me. ” He couldn’t fix all the problems that the Soviet had, however if he would have tried he would have needed much help.

Gorbachev, should have taken the challenge of fixing a problem that was probably unfixable. He says, “Politics is my second love, next to my love for Raisa”(his wife).” Gorbachev really makes his point where politics lies in his life. Russia was in turmoil in his eyes and he felt like he could change it. I look at it this way if you have a problem with something fix it, and if you don’t want to fix it you cannot voice your opinion about it.

Do you see any lessons for our own future in his words?
No, i personally don’t believe there was any lessons to learn, but we can take his failures that were a trial & error to see the real reasons for what happened. He just gives his ideas on the situations.

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Permalink # Damaris Jimenez said

” Yes, I did make (Vladimir) Kryuchkov head of the KGB, and he later staged a coup against me. ”
It can’t be forced, even though it’s risky, even dangerous. Let’s tackle this together. Gromyko replied that he agreed with me completely.”
That struck me as a huge regret, however fictitious it might be. I also don’t believe he alone could save the Soviet Union because it seems as if he could barely understand what was going on with the choices people were making that he helped to elect; such as the KGB “influence” on politics.
O- The origin of this document is an interview with Mikhail Gorbachev.
P- The purpose of this interview was to have Gorbachev answer questions and tell of how the Soviet Union came down and never went back up.
V- He was the last communist leader of the Soviet Union, his insight on this was very interesting.
L-this interview has only Gorbachev’s opinion although he is and was a huge part of Russia.

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Permalink # Natalie McKinney said

The origin of this document is an interview with Gorbachev, conducted by Spiegel (interviewer/reporter). The Value of this document is that this interview gives the reader an up-close and personal view of one of the most important leaders of the 20th century: Mikhail Gorbachev. The Purpose of this document is to assess the successes and failures of his time/role on government. This document also allows the reader to find out how Gorbachev viewed some of the events of the 20th century. The limitation of this document is that it is solely based upon the questions that Spiegel asks and the vantage point the Gorbachev gives. Had all of the leaders from the 20th century been able to put their “10 cents” in on this interview, the conversation would have been completely different. Hence, it would hopefully show each leader’s stance on those crucial moments in history.

The guiding questions ask what regrets does Gorbachev have, and could he have saved the Soviet Union. Personally, I believe that in this interview Gorbachev answers these questions to the best of his ability. However, since I must assess them for myself, I will say that he has a few regrets (his regret is not deep rooted) and that even if he was Superman, no I do not think he could have saved the Soviet Union. “The Soviet Communist Party was a huge machine. At some point, it began throwing spokes into the wheels. It was the initiator of perestroika, but then it became its biggest obstacle. I understood that nothing would work without deep-seated political reforms. After suffering a defeat in the first democratic elections, the establishment joined forces and openly attacked me at a meeting of the party leadership. That was when I announced my resignation and left the plenary chamber.” (http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,780526-2,00.html) Here Gorbachev states that even with a perestroika type revision it was going to take more than that and then some to help the Soviet Union get out of the rut it was stuck in. “Here is a theory that you often repeat, but that we are unable to understand, namely that the Soviet Union could still have been saved even after the coup. And it could have. It’s just that we were too late in beginning to reform it. Some wanted a federation, but the majority of the republics wanted a united state with elements of a confederation. Then I proposed a referendum. When we voted on the proposal, Yeltsin angrily slammed his fist on the table. He was against it, of course. He announced openly that he could no longer work with Gorbachev, and that they had to part ways with him. Then came the referendum, and the people supported me. Seventy-six percent.” (http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,780526-2,00.html) This comment proves once again that after the coup there was not much he could have done to save the Soviet Union. Even Superman had some tricks; in this situation there weren’t any tricks to be used. Plus he only had 76% of the people behind him at that point and that number soon plummeted.
At the end of the day I do believe that Gorbachev wanted what was best for his country. However, in life things do not always work out according to plan. He did the best with what he could for as long as he could. “I will never give up politics. I’ve tried to give it up three times, but I never made it. Politics mobilizes me. I won’t last long if I give it up.” (http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,780526,00.html) Here he states that politics are his life. Usually when someone dedicates their life to a cause, all they want to do is see it succeed. With that being said, I don’t think Gorbachev would have had a greater joy from anything (other than his family) than to see the Soviet Union succeed in all of its endeavors.

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Permalink # Brittany Bell said

“Gorbachev: Let’s take one thing at a time. I would launch perestroika in exactly the same way today. “We can’t go on living this way.” That was our slogan. “I want changes,” Viktor Zoi, the pioneer of Russian rock music, sang.
SPIEGEL: But you lacked a concept for these changes.
Gorbachev: If I had had a plan for it, I would have quickly ended up in Magadan” (pg 1)
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,780526,00.htm Gorbacbev should be revered he tried to please everyone and give them what they wanted. He was a CARING man if he were to saty in longer lots of our major long term problems may be fixed today. Gorbachev had many regrets, one here quoted.
” Yes, I did make (Vladimir) Kryuchkov head of the KGB, and he later staged a coup against me. ”To answer could he have fixed somethingg that was broken in most cases my answer to this would be no but for Gorbachev I would say it could be possible.

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Permalink # DeeDee Smith said

I think Gorbachev should be revered because he was a very caring man. He tried to give everyone what they wanted.

O- interview of Gorbachev
P- to discuss questions with Gorbachev an get his opinion.
V- Honest answers by Gorbachev
L- Gorbachev opinion

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Permalink # invitingodin said

He is revered in the west and seen as a traitor in the east. Which is he?nether but he is more of a sell out than a trader. (you’ve spent a lot of time on the road as a kind of traveling salesman, effectively selling your past and making a lot of money in the process. You give lectures, appear in advertisements for the luxury goods firm Louis Vuitton and open banks and furniture stores)

Was he a relic of a political system that didn’t work or was he someone trying to help his country by changing it? he is more of a relic b\c he will always be remembered as the last communist leader of the ussr

O SPIEGEL Interview with Mikhail Gorbachev
P discusses the last days of the Soviet Union, his failure to resolve problems with the Communist Party and the ensuing bloodshed he says still troubles him today
v speaks of the last days of the ussr
l traslated
What regrets does Gorbachev had?”My goal was to avoid bloodshed. But unfortunately there was some bloodshed, after all. It also troubles me that I didn’t resolve the problem with the Communist Party in time. And that I underestimated the fact that the establishment in the other national republics wanted to decide issues relating to their own lives on their own, without anyone from the central government getting involved. Now they have this possibility.”

Could he have saved the Soviet Union? “I did make (Vladimir) Kryuchkov head of the KGB, and he later staged a coup against me” he could not of saved the soviet union bc he kept making stupid decisons lik assisigning ppl to jobs were they could be tray him and he was not a great leadr aslo bc he couldnt keep ppl in his gov undercontrol and he was not listing to the working man which is wat communism is about.

Should he have even tried to fix something that was so broken?
yes b/c it is his job as the leader of the ussr

Do you see any lessons for our own future in his words?
“And yet we need new forces to bring progress to the country. And we need parties that bring together the interests of politics and the economy, can achieve a social partnership and guarantee democratic development.”

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Permalink # dasiaboo95 said

I believe that Gorbachev should have been revered help get change for the people. I do not believe that he could have saved the Soviet Union because he could not help the choices people made that were elected. “Gorbachev: Let’s take one thing at a time. I would launch perestroika in exactly the same way today. “We can’t go on living this way.” That was our slogan. “I want changes,” Viktor Zoi, the pioneer of Russian rock music, sang.
SPIEGEL: But you lacked a concept for these changes.
Gorbachev: If I had had a plan for it, I would have quickly ended up in Magadan” (pg 1)
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,780526,00.htm I do not believe that Gorbachev

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- Permalink # dasiaboo95 said
  
  ……. Gorbachev could have fixed something that is broken because he might have made matters worse.
  
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Permalink # Zully C said

He revered in the west. He had different points of view in different reforms. He was an intelligent man that knew what was right for his country.”Each country is different. China is a good example, but reforms have to be advanced in different ways.”

O- Speigel International Interview
P- The purpose of this interview was created to show Gorbachev’s idea’s and points of view of Russia, when President.
V- The interviewer wanted to get the true facts about what really happened during Gorbachev’s presidency.
L- Gorbachev never mention how he knew that people betrayed him or not enough history about his past.

Gorbachev regreted not making Russia as strong as it could.
” At some point, it began throwing spokes into the wheels. It was the initiator of perestroika, but then it became its biggest obstacle. I understood that nothing would work without deep-seated political reforms.”

Yes I think he could have saved Russia. he was a strong, intelligent leader and knew what was going on in Russia. He didnt like to risk anything and was aware of the obstacles that were going to immerge.
“Yes, I know, that accusation has been leveled at me millions of times. But it really was all happening behind my back. Of course, this raises the question: What sort of a general secretary were you if you didn’t know anything about it?”

Like I said he would have saved his country so all the broken parts inside the country would have been brought together by Gorbachev if he would have stayed in power.

For our future all I can say is to be wise on the next presidency and to choose and research about the canidates. We never know who the President is internally and he/she is lying. I dont trust no President because so fsr they have all LIED!
😀

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Permalink # Zully C said

http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,780526-3,00.html
^^ FOR ALL QUOTES!

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- Permalink # Miriam Lewis said
  
  This interview is from the magazine Der Spiegel in Germany and was conducted to get Gorbachev’s side of many of the happenings just before the fall of the Soviet Union. It is valuable because it provides an idea of Gorbachev’s motives and thought processes, but it is limited because at times, Gorbachev seems to be on the defensive. Also, there are times that Gorbachev disagrees with the interviewers about word choice and rather than going into detail on his thoughts about it, the interviewer simply asks him not to argue about the word.
  
  Gorbachev regrets the bloodshed that came along with the fall of the Soviet Union, supporting Boris Yeltsin as Party Leader in Moscow, and taking a vacation in Crimea, allowing the coup to occur. He also regrets that, after resigning as president, he came back to prevent a schism in the Communist Party.
  He believes that the Union could have been saved, but they started on reforms too late.
  It was his duty as the country’s leader to try to fix it. His reforms were valid, but, as he says, he started on them too late. There is the possibility that he was not trying to save the Union, but rather change it. His policy of glasnost in particular has to do with openness, something that had originally not been a part of the Soviet Union.
  Throughout the entire interview, Gorbachev remains by what he did when he was still in office. He never falters or shows uncertainty. However, he does admit to the things that he did wrong and discusses what he could have improved on. I think it is important that things be discussed openly, as Gorbachev does here. This way, people may better understand what has happened and why.
  
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Permalink # Janeisha Im-focused Raymond said

I think Gorbachev should be revered because he did a lot for the Soviet Union. He was an successful leader as far as doing what he thought was best and trying to make decisions that would benefit his country…

“We can’t go on living this way.” That was our slogan. “I want changes,” Viktor Zoi, the pioneer of Russian rock music, sang.”

Gorbachev constantly tried to come up with ways to improve his country he always took into consideration what the citizens wanted, he knew that the country wasn’t happy with the way things were so he used this as a slogan to gain support and give hope to the working class. Although this was a good strategy to use, one of his downfall’s as a leader was his failure of keeping peace within the country. Like Lincoln once said “A house divided against itself will not stand”. I do not think Gorbachev could have saved the USSR alone because he didn’t have a support system or people with the same goals as he had, with too much opposition in his circle, instead of working together towards a common goal, the people he surrounded himself with were too busy trying to plot against him. Gorbachev later regrets this as he acknowledges in the interview…

“I did make (Vladimir) Kryuchkov head of the KGB, and he later staged a coup against me”.

This is probably one of the lessons I took from the interview I now know to try and figure out someones true motives to make sure they are sincere and will not set me up for failure like Kryuchkov did Gorbachev.

O: Spiegel’s interview on Mikhail Gorbachev

P: The purpose of this interview was to achieve a deeper understanding of the faults Gorbachev had while governing the USSR.

V: This interview was of value because it allows the reader to understand Gorbachev’s outlook on the failure of the USSR, it also investigates his personal self critique and things he thought he could have done differently to save the USSR.

L: As far as limitations, I think the interview was fair. Although previous comments argue the fact that it wasn’t fair because Gorbachev was being interviewed and all of his responses were shared in a positive light, I also believe that Spiegel did a good job at challenging this. Since there were two opinions of the failure of the USSR the both sides were explored and there were not all “sunny” views and it wasn’t all “pessimistic” views either.

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Permalink # Juan said

i believe Gorbachev did have not any regrets with the reforms he implemented in the USSR during his reign. Gorbachev tried his best to fix the USSR. He knew that communism was literally in crisis and knew that reforms where needed so that they could compete with the west. “The Soviet Communist Party was a huge machine. At some point, it began throwing spokes into the wheels. It was the initiator of perestroika, but then it became its biggest obstacle. I understood that nothing would work without deep-seated political reforms.”
(http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,780526,00.html)

O-Speigal International Interview
P-the purpose of this interview was to relive the last days of the USSR through Gorbachev eyes
V-this interview shows the ideology of Gorbachev during the last days of the USSR and also the reactions of Gorbachev to the conflicts he had to deal with
L- you can clearly see that the interviewer dislikes Gorbachev, so he creates questions so that Gorbachev will seem like he made mistakes and was a unfit leader of USSR

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Permalink # jackrosemond said

O-Speigel International Interview, Gorbachev (former leader of the USSR), August 16, 2011.
P-They wer discussing the success and failures of Gorbachavs rule in the final years of the USSR.
V-This interview provides inside to the “problems” that the USSR had to deal with. This also shows and explanation, from the leader, on why they ultimately failed.
L-This was translated and not all Russian word translate directly to English, meaning to could have been a poor translation.

Gorbachev, in the opening page replies to Spiegels labeling of the USSR as a failure by saying “Did you just say “failed?”(pg. 1). This, in my opinion shows that he doesn’t think that they failed. which most everyone would say they did. In reality the USSR was one of the largest, if not the largest communist countries of the 20th century. They were powerful and one of the worlds most powerful nations. The statement of failure, in his opinion, is an insult.
Gorbachev knew that the USSR was at a point where they could not continue the way they were. The only was to survive was to “fail.” He should be seen not as a revered man nor as a horrible leader. This is like looking at George W Bush’s presidency, some would say he was, overall, a good leader and they revere him as that. some would say the opposite and label him as a horrible leader. The similarities of the two men is that they both had decisions they dad to make for the greater good of there countries, they made them in the fashion that they saw fit.
I do see a lesson in these words, politics is one of the most stressful jobs ever. One decision can affect everything.
Citations:
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,780526,00.html

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Permalink # car1995 said

O-SPIEGEL Interview with Mikhail Gorbachev
P- the purpose of this interview was to get Gorbachev’s views on the questions and allow him to share his regrets
V- the value of this article is that it gives Gorbachev’s direct answer and not his PR’s answer
L- the article doesn’t allow us to hear the emotions in his voice when he speaks of his regrets

he regretted not have done what he did sooner and saving live. He couldn’t have saved the USSR because when a political system becomes that corrupt there is no fixing it the only thing you can do is start over.We can learn that when the people have a say in the government and there are checks and balances it makes it hard for a government to become corrupt. The government is for the people and by the people.

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Permalink # kalebrostmeyer said

I think Gorbachev should be revered, not seen as a traitor. Like no other leader, he tried to change things in the Soviet Union, something few had tried for the people in the Union.

“I said to him: The situation is serious, and the people are demanding change. It can’t be forced, even though it’s risky, even dangerous. Let’s tackle this together.” (http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,780526,00.html)

Had Gorbachev had stayed in power long enough, i really think he could have kept the independent countries in the USSR in a positive way, unlike any other leader who used worse ways.

“First we had to lead the people out of torpor. The party establishment didn’t need perestroika. Each of them had it made. The district party leader was the king in his district, the regional leader was a czar and the general secretary was practically God’s equal. That’s why we needed glasnost — openness — first. It was the path to freedom. We later conducted the first free elections in Russia in 1,000 years.” (http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,780526,00.html)

O- Speigel International Interview
P- Discuss the ending of the Soviet Union , what he failed to accomplish, and the events that followed his downfall.
V- The interviewee is an extremely important figure in the history of the Soviet Union, and he was unique in what he tried to do. The interview answers tough question that intelligent answers are given for.
L- Its obviously opinionated and just predictions mostly

“I joined the Communist Party at 19, when I was still in school. My father had been on the front and my grandfather was an old communist — and I was supposed to blow the whole thing up? Today I know that I should have done it.”(http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,779277,00.html)

Gorbachev regrets not acting quick enough. He feels like he should have been more aggressive in trying to reform the system.

“After all, all other republics had already declared their independence, as a sign of greater sovereignty” (http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,779277,00.html)

Gorbachev was trying to preserve the Soviet Union. He was allowing and even supporting the independent decisions made by satellite nations.

Gorbachev was ultimately trying to preserve the USSR, but also trying to reestablish it with fresh ideas based upon the old system. Had he stayed in power, its very likely he would have accomplished it.

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Permalink # petercipriano said

“Gorbachev: Both of you were very familiar with the Soviet Union. Don’t you remember what kind of a country it was? All it took was a tiny political joke to end up in Magadan. And I was supposed to have a plan and a supporting team? First we had to lead the people out of torpor. The party establishment didn’t need perestroika. Each of them had it made. The district party leader was the king in his district, the regional leader was a czar and the general secretary was practically God’s equal. That’s why we needed glasnost — openness — first. It was the path to freedom. We later conducted the first free elections in Russia in 1,000 years.”
In my opinion Gorbachev needs to be revered. He was the first soviet leader who saw things wrong with the way communism worked in Russia, he was also one of the first that called for reform, and in doing so he changed the landscape of Russia entirely. Now Russian citizens no longer have to fear “disappearing” just because of what they say. Because of Gorbachev Russian citizens have more rights then they did. Enough cause to be revered.

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