Normalization of the State System and the Soviet Society

Emerging Third area countries and even Marxist revolutionary movements had ceased looking to the Soviet merger as an example or alternative to the capitalist West. nether the leaders of Yuri Andropov, the Soviets began to undertake clears intended to revitalize the system. These ranged from expanding the authority of show managers in an effort to introduce some of the efficiencies of "market socialism," go not undermining ov epochll central control, to an effort to reduce vodka utilization and curb widespread public and workplace drunkenness and indiscipline.

In many respects the Andropov reforms were abortive. Introducing market-like efficiencies proved fundamentally inconsistant with central direction, sequence anti-drunkenness campaigns did nothing to improve worker moral or efficiency. However, it is far-famed that when Gorbachev came to power, his initial program was a continuation of the effort begun by Andropov. Glasnost and perestroika were initially seen as logical next steps in the effort to revitalize the Soviet system. Only in memory did they mark the beginning of revolutionary change.

Mikhail Gorbachev, like his predecessor Andropov, came to leadership office with a single overarching agenda item: to reform and revitalize the Soviet system after two decades of increase stagnation and (as seen in retrospect) gradual decline. Gorbachev's initial agenda was a continuation of the Andropov program. However, it quickly became

preliminary to 1992, Boris Yeltsin was in the broad sense a Gorbachev ally in the policy of restructuring the Soviet Union, though increasingly a adjoin on a personal political level. During the abortive coup d'etat of 1992, Yeltsin established himself as the champion of popular reform, while Gorbachev -- soon imprisoned at his dascha by the coup plotters -- never get politically, and was marginalized.

clear that tinkering around the edges of the system could not produce able results; revitalization could only follow from sweeping reform.

Politically and economically, Yeltsin in full embraced Westernization: democratic political institutions and privatization of the economy. The political transition was successful; Russia emerged as a democracy, albeit a potentially shaky one. Economic privatization, however, was attach to by pervasive corruption, and the Russian economy remains genuinely weak.

Look See, It's Yuksi (1998). The Economist (January 24, 1998), pp. 62-63).

Thus, once the process began, it accelerated, and quickly locomote far beyond Gorbachev's original intentions, ultimately bringing nigh his downfall. In retrospect, however, the Soviet system had failed, and the great achievement of the Gorbachev era was to begin its peaceful dismantling and provide space for the takings of a new Russia.

The watchwords of the Gorbachev program, perestroika ("restructuring") and glasnost, "openness," reflected this evolving agenda. Fundamental restructuring --
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