The Gorbachev Factor

by Archie Brown

General Secretary of the Soviet Communist Party and political reformer, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize and the force behind perestroika , Mikhail Gorbachev was arguably the most important statesman of the twentieth century. When he assumed power in March 1985, it was unimaginable that the
Soviet Union would, in the space of seven years, be transformed out of existence. Enormous obstacles confronted any leader intent on changing the Soviet system radically-- centuries of authoritarian government in Russia had been followed by almost seventy years of Soviet rule. Today, however, the
changes in what used to be the Soviet Union have been so great--and peaceful-- that it is easy to forget what the unreformed Soviet system was like when Mikhail Gorbachev succeeded Konstantin Chernenko.
Providing a balanced account of the complexities of politics in the U.S.S.R. during a period of remarkable change, The Gorbachev Factor tells the gripping story of Gorbachev's rise and fall, a story full of intrigue, secret meetings, and power struggles. Author Archie Brown, one of the world's
leading authorities on Gorbachev and the first Western writer to predict his importance, sets out to comprehend the evolution of Gorbachev's thinking and to identify and evaluate his personal contribution to change in Soviet politics. He analyses the thrust of Gorbachev's domestic and foreign
policy, looks at the sources of his new ideas, and assesses his contribution to the radical changes that took place in the Soviet Union. Brown shows how Gorbachev moved beyond reform of the Soviet system to the demolition of a number of its pillars. As he came to power in 1985, Gorbachev said, "I
thought that we had a system that could be improved. Instead, I learned that we had a system that needed to be replaced." And, in a matter of years, the Soviet system quietly folded under his leadership. In the process of describing Gorbachev, Brown also provides portraits of Soviet leaders through
the years--Brezhnev, Andropov, Chernenko, and even Lenin and Stalin--and charts the influence of such Russian luminaries as Eduard Shevardnadze and Boris Yeltsin.
Perceptive and controversial, The Gorbachev Factor paints a vivid picture of a man and seven years that have changed the course of the twentieth century, offering fascinating insights into the beliefs, political style, and powers of Mikhail Gorbachev. It provides both a timely and balanced
account of the recent complexities of Soviet politics and a searching analysis of the crucial role played by a politician quite unlike any other to have headed the Soviet party and state.

Genres: Russian History, History

426 pages, Hardcover

First published March 28, 1996

About the author

Archibald Haworth Brown, commonly known as Archie Brown, is a British political scientist and historian. In 2005, he became an emeritus professor of politics at the University of Oxford and an emeritus fellow of St Antony's College, Oxford, where he served as a professor of politics and director of St Antony's Russian and East European Centre. He has written widely on Soviet and Russian politics, on communist politics more generally, on the Cold War, and on political leadership.

Reviews

[Legens · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book's structure is both its strength and its weakness: Separating change in the USSR by domestic policy, foreign policy, economy, and the nationalities' question makes each easier to understand, but severs the connections between them. While the book is not a biography of Gorbachev, he seems front and center of all change, obscuring the eroding belief in Communist orthodoxy among the wider elites. Still, it is a worthwhile (and well-written) account of these tumultuous years when the Soviet Union turned from hyperstability to sudden change.

[Grey · Rating 3 out of 5]

did a good job of placing Gorbachev at the center of the end of the Cold War; I think failed to incorporate other factors significantly enough.

[Keziah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Compelling read, thorough and packed with information. Love a good read on anything Gorbachev and the Soviet Union, this was enjoyed majorly.