Syllabus Edition
First teaching 2024
First exams 2026
Gorbachev's 'New Thinking' (Edexcel GCSE History)
Revision Note
Written by: Zoe Wade
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
How did Gorbachev's 'New Thinking' Lead to the End of the Cold War? - Timeline & Summary
In March 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev became the new General Secretary of the Soviet Union. Gorbachev attempted to reform and improve the Soviet Union. He approached this by:
Gorbachev inadvertently gave the citizens of the Soviet Union and the satellite states of Eastern Europe the power to speak out against their communist governments. This pressure resulted in the collapse of the Eastern Bloc in 1989-90 and the communist Soviet Union in 1991. In 1985, the USA became more open to collaborating with the Soviet Union. Gorbachev's reforms, or 'new thinking', seemed to move the Soviet Union away from communism. Even President Reagan, known for his hard stance against the Soviet Union, became determined to work with Gorbachev to end the Cold War. The leaders agreed to the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Force (INF) Treaty. A series of summits between 1985 and 1989 moved the USA and the Soviet Union towards peace. |
Who was Mikhail Gorbachev?
On 10th November 1982, Leonid Brezhnev died
His cause of death was a heart attack
Brezhnev died in office
Between 1982 and 1985, there was unstable leadership in the Soviet Union
Brezhnev's successor, Andropov, died in 1984
Andropov's successor, Chernenko, died in 1985
In March 1985, the Central Committee nominated Mikhail Gorbachev as the new leader of the Soviet Union
Gorbachev had risen through the Communist Party and held important roles like the party secretary of agriculture
As leader of the Soviet Union, he argued that the country needed to introduce democratic reforms
Examiner Tips and Tricks
The Superpower Relations paper does not require an in-depth knowledge of Mikhail Gorbachev. Try to remember that Gorbachev acted differently from Brezhnev. Brezhnev had led the Soviet Union for 18 years. Under Brezhnev's leadership, the Soviet Union's economy and standard of living had declined. Brezhnev fought against attempts to reform as seen in the Prague Spring. Gorbachev believed that it was necessary for the Soviet Union to change.
Why was There a Need for 'New Thinking'?
By 1985, the Soviet Union had serious economic and social issues
The Soviet Union in 1985
When Gorbachev became leader, the Soviet Union was close to economic collapse
He believed that reform would:
Save the Soviet economy
Increase the happiness of the citizens in the Soviet Union and its satellite states
Perestroika - 'Restructuring'
To reform the economy, Gorbachev began the process of perestroika
Perestroika is the Russian word for 'restructuring'
The policies involved in perestroika were:
The reduction of military spending
The ending of the arms race with the USA
The introduction of more capitalist elements in the economy
Gorbachev allowed the establishment of small, privately-owned businesses
The Soviet Union removed the restrictions on foreign trade, allowing businesses to trade more freely with other countries
A reduction in the Soviet control of businesses
Glasnost - 'Openness'
The second aspect of Gorbachev's reforms was glasnost
Glasnost is the Russian term for 'openness'
The policies involved in glasnost were:
Less restrictions on censorship and freedom of speech
The citizens of the Soviet Union could discuss and criticise the government
There was less Soviet control of the media
The Soviet Union took responsibility for past repression
For example, the Soviet government admitted that the Hungarian Uprising and the Prague Spring were peaceful attempts at reform. This admission sparked protests in Hungary and Czechoslovakia
The Soviet Union would allow opposition to their government
In 1988, there were discussions about allowing elections
A commitment to tackle corruption within the Soviet government
Examiner Tips and Tricks
One of the skills that the Superpower Relations exam tests students on is their in-depth knowledge of the time period. An exam question may ask you specifically about perestroika and glasnost. To help you remember what these two terms mean, break down each word:
Perestroika contains 'str' - this can remind you of the word 'structure'
Glasnost contains 'Glas' - this can remind you of the word 'glass'. You can see through glass, referring to the transparency of the Soviet Union under glasnost
The USA's Reaction to Soviet 'New Thinking'
Ronald Reagan became president in 1981
His first term as president showed his tough stance on the Soviet Union by:
Increasing the USA's military spending on programmes such as the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI)
Becoming more aggressive towards the Soviet Union by calling them an 'evil empire'
When Gorbachev became the new leader of the Soviet Union, US-Soviet relations began to change
Gorbachev announced that the Soviet Union would no longer follow the Brezhnev Doctrine
The Soviet Union would no longer control the domestic politics of the satellite states
The USA saw the Soviet Union as less of a world threat
Reagan believed there was a chance that he could end the Cold War
In 1988, Gorbachev spoke at the UN
Gorbachev's speech confirmed the Soviet Union's commitment to reforms and forming a better relationship with the USA
Gorbachev and Reagan formed a strong diplomatic relationship
'New Thinking' in Action - the Peace Summits of the 1980s
Between 1985 and 1989, Gorbachev attended a series of summits with the USA
The summits resulted in some significant agreements between the Soviet Union and the USA
Key summit meetings between the USA and the Soviet Union, 1985-89
Summit meeting | Aim of the summit | Outcome of the summit |
|---|---|---|
Geneva, November 1985 | First meeting of Gorbachev and Reagan | No formal agreements made Gorbachev and Reagan established a positive working relationship |
Reykjavik, October 1986 | The Soviet Union had just experienced the nuclear disaster at Chernobyl. Radioactive fallout was affecting a large area of the Soviet Union Gorbachev aimed to reduce the Soviet Union's nuclear stockpile if the USA agreed to stop the SDI | No formal agreements made The USA could not give up the SDI Gorbachev and Reagan improved their relationship |
Washington, December 1987 | Gorbachev wanted to make agreements on reducing military spending in efforts to achieve nuclear disarmament | The USA and the Soviet Union signed the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Force (INF) treaty. The INF treaty agreed to abolish all land missiles with a range of between 500km and 5,500km |
Moscow, May-June 1988 | A clarification of the complex details and problems of the INF treaty | The two countries resolved issues with the INF treaty In December, Gorbachev travelled to the USA and spoke at the UN. He agreed to reduce the number of Warsaw Pact soldiers and for the Soviet Union to leave Afghanistan |
Malta, December 1989 | First meeting between Gorbachev and the new US president, George Bush | No agreements but both countries used this meeting to mark the end of the Cold War |
Worked Example
Explain one consequence of the Washington Summit (December 1987)
4 marks
Answer:
One consequence of the Washington Summit was a move towards nuclear disarmament. Gorbachev's intention for the Washington Summit was to create an agreement with the USA to reduce military spending and nuclear stockpiles. The outcome of the meeting was the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Force (INF) treaty. The INF treaty agreed to abolish all land missiles with a range of between 500km and 5,500km. The Washington Summit was a move towards nuclear disarmament as it was the first agreement to restrict weapons since SALT 1 in 1972. This showed the official end of the 'Second Cold War' and a move towards better US-Soviet relations. As a result, the threat of nuclear warfare was reduced as both countries agreed that the stockpiling of nuclear weapons was unnecessary.
Examiner Tips and Tricks
This question has previously asked you to explain two consequences. In the Superpower Relations exam paper for 2025, this question will ask you to explain one consequence. However, there will be two different "Explain one consequence of" questions, each worth four marks.
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