Perestroika - Summary

Summary

Perestroika allowed more independent actions from various ministries and introduced some market-like reforms. The goal of the perestroika, however, was not to end the command economy but rather to make socialism work more efficiently to better meet the needs of Soviet consumers. The process of implementing perestroika arguably exacerbated already existing political, social and economic tensions within the Soviet Union and no doubt helped to further nationalism in the constituent republics. Perestroika and resistance to it are often cited as major catalysts leading to the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Although perestroika did, in fact, cause social unrest, it also gave the Soviet Union a new direction of foreign policy that led to achieving greater political power than ever before. Gorbachev changed the meaning of freedom for the people of the USSR. Previously, freedom had meant recognition of the Marxist–Leninist regime. Now, however, freedom meant escaping all constraints. He also ceased the persecution of religion under perestroika and allowed the publishing of previously banned books, such as Nineteen Eighty-Four, Animal Farm, and Doctor Zhivago. Although Gorbachev's attempts at Perestroika ultimately failed, he drastically changed the perceptions of the outside world towards Russia.