Mikhail Gorbachev was the last leader of the Soviet Union before it dissolved in 1991. He brought many reforms to the Soviet Union including new freedoms which eventually led to many countries breaking away from the union claiming independence. His relationships with western leaders such as Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher helped bring an end to the Cold War.
Gorbachev also indicated that the Soviet Union would no longer interfere with other countries in Eastern Europe. This caused a major change in the world. Without the fear of the Soviet Union, countries such as Eastern Germany, Poland, and Hungary got rid of their communist governments. In 1989 the Berlin Wall in Germany was torn down.Although Gorbachev’s reforms allowed for more freedom, many states used this freedom to protest and eventually claim independence from the Soviet Union. By the end of 1991, the Soviet Union had collapsed. On December 25, 1991 Gorbachev resigned as leader of the Soviet Union and the Union was split into 15 separate countries.
Mikhail was born to a agriculture family . During 1933 a famine he lost some his family members and he was grown in difficult circumstances.. In 1950 Mikhail went to Moscow University where he received a degree in law. After graduation in 1955, Gorbachev jioned communist party as a member of the Communist party . He became the leader of the division . Over the next several years Gorbachev became a leader in the Communist Party. In 1971, he moved to Moscow as the Secretary of Agriculture. Mikhail quickly became a force in Moscow gaining influence. In 1980 Gorbachev was selected to be a member of the Politburo, the most powerful group in the Communist Party. He was the youngest member of the Politburo. Within a few short years, Gorbachev gained considerable influence on the Politburo. After two aging leaders died in 1984 and 1985, the Communist Party wanted someone young and healthy to take over as leader. In 1985 Mikhail Gorbachev became the General Secretary of the Soviet Union. When Gorbachev took over as leader, the Soviet economy was struggling. He wanted to reform the economy as well as the government. Gorbachev announced two main areas of reform, Glasnost and Perestroika. . Peace with the West Gorbachev also made attempts to end the Cold War and improve relations with the west. He met with US President Ronald Reagan and signed the INF treaty regarding nuclear weapons. He also removed Soviet troops from Afghanistan ending the Soviet Afghanistan War.