Question: Who was the last President of the Soviet Union?
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Mikhail Gorbachev.
The last President of the Soviet Union was Mikhail Gorbachev, a pivotal figure in global politics during the late 20th century. Gorbachev served as the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1985 to 1991 and became the Soviet Union’s first and only President in 1990, a position he held until the dissolution of the USSR in December 1991.
Gorbachev is best known for his efforts to reform the Soviet Union through policies of glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring). Glasnost aimed to increase transparency in government institutions and allow greater freedom of expression, while perestroika sought to reform the stagnant Soviet economy by introducing limited market mechanisms. These policies were groundbreaking in a society long characterized by rigid authoritarian control and a planned economy.
Internationally, Gorbachev played a crucial role in ending the Cold War. He engaged in arms control negotiations with U.S. leaders such as Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush, resulting in significant agreements like the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty. Gorbachev also eased Soviet control over Eastern European satellite states, facilitating the peaceful revolutions of 1989 that led to the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of Communist regimes across the region.
Despite his transformative impact, Gorbachev faced mounting criticism domestically. Economic hardships and political unrest escalated, culminating in a failed coup by hardline Communists in August 1991. By December 1991, the Soviet Union dissolved, and Gorbachev resigned, marking the end of a superpower and a defining chapter in world history. His legacy remains a subject of debate, with some praising his vision and others blaming him for the Soviet Union’s collapse.
