January 1987 is considered to be the official start of perestroika. Then, at the next plenum of the Central Committee of the CPSU, perestroika was proclaimed the main direction of the development of the USSR. However, that event was preceded by almost 2 years of reforms that had begun in the country.
Instructions
Step 1
In reality, perestroika began with the coming to the leadership of the USSR of the new General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee Mikhail Gorbachev in March 1985. By that time, global changes were ripe in the country. Few people did not understand this then. A long period of relatively prosperous Brezhnev stagnation gradually began to turn into a stage of outright degradation of the state.
Step 2
The economy of the USSR was in a state of stagnation. Despite the annual statistical data on the steady growth of all indicators, the real state of affairs was getting worse and worse. There were fewer and fewer goods on store shelves, and absolutely empty ideological slogans urging citizens to be patient a little longer in the name of a near bright future did not work anymore. The people wanted change.
Step 3
Therefore, the people perceived the coming to power in the camp of a new, young, energetic person by the standards of big politics, as a good sign of a harbinger of changes for the better.
Step 4
Despite the fact that in his very first speech at the new high post, Gorbachev assured everyone that he would continue to pursue the policy of the Communist Party, no one believed him. He spoke so cheerfully and energetically, while only hinting at the forthcoming reforms.
Step 5
During the first three months after coming to power, the new secretary general changed practically all the top party leadership. Completely new people came to replace Brezhnev's elderly comrades-in-arms. Two state projects, extremely dubious in terms of their feasibility and prospects, have emerged: on the fight against the priests and the acceleration of the country's economic development.
Step 6
And there is also a concept, hitherto completely unheard of by the Soviet people - glasnost. Then, at the dawn of perestroika, there were only small glimpses of it. But the people were also immensely happy about this. In the official party press and on television, a lot of information that was previously completely inaccessible to a mere mortal began to appear. On the one hand, positive materials about life in Western countries began to be given. On the other hand, there is criticism of the party and Soviet bodies.
Step 7
Major changes in foreign policy are also taking place. For the first time in the past nine years, the head of the USSR has met with the President of the United States four times in 2 years. There are also meetings with other heads of Western powers. The fragile hope of an end to the Cold War and the arms race is emerging among people around the world.
Step 8
But the real changes in Soviet society, which are commonly called perestroika all over the world, began only in 1987.
