MOSCOW (AP) — Mikhail Gorbachev, who as the last leader of the Soviet Union waged a losing battle to salvage a crumbling empire but produced extraordinary reforms that led to the end of the Cold War, has died at 91, Russian media reported Thursday.
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News organizations quoted a statement from the Central Clinical Hospital as saying he died after a long illness. No other details were given.
Though in power less than seven years, Gorbachev unleashed a breathtaking series of changes. But they quickly overtook him and resulted in the collapse of the authoritarian Soviet state, the freeing of Eastern European nations from Russian domination and the end of decades of East-West nuclear confrontation.
His decline was humiliating. His power hopelessly sapped by an attempted coup against him in August 1991, he spent his last months in office watching republic after republic declare independence until he resigned on Dec. 25, 1991. The Soviet Union wrote itself into oblivion a day later.
A quarter-century after the collapse, Gorbachev told The Associated Press that he had not considered using widespread force to try to keep the USSR together because he feared chaos in a nuclear country.
“The country was loaded to the brim with weapons. And it would have immediately pushed the country into a civil war,” he said.
Many of the changes, including the Soviet breakup, bore no resemblance to the transformation that Gorbachev had envisioned when he became the Soviet leader in March 1985.
By the end of his rule he was powerless to halt the whirlwind he had sown. Yet Gorbachev may have had a greater impact on the second half of the 20th century than any other political figure.
“I see myself as a man who started the reforms that were necessary for the country and for Europe and the world,” Gorbachev told The AP in a 1992 interview shortly after he left office.
“I am often asked, would I have started it all again if I had to repeat it? Yes, indeed. And with more persistence and determination,” he said.
Gorbachev won the 1990 Nobel Peace Prize for his role in ending the Cold War and spent his later years collecting accolades and awards from all corners of the world. Yet he was widely despised at home.
Russians blamed him for the 1991 implosion of the Soviet Union — a once-fearsome superpower whose territory fractured into 15 separate nations. His former allies deserted him and made him a scapegoat for the country’s troubles.
Te official news agency Tass reported that Gorbachev will be buried at Moscow’s Novodevichy cemetery next to his wife.
Why are you looking at me?
All over free social media in Russia – he was poisoned by Tsar Pootin’s goons.
Gorby was GREAT. A MENSCH. Freed 300 million slaves from Kommunism. He will be missed!
the cold war ended due to the great leadership of Ronald Reagan who declared that communism would end up in the ashbin of history and he wasn’t scared to take them on. what he did to help the refuseniks was amazing! we need a proud American, optimistic, brave leader like him so much nowadays–But in truth we need much more than that-may we be zocheh to the geulah Shlema bekarov
Thank you Misha!
Your reward will be great!
The NYSlimes praises the old commie who lost, because they hate that it was Reagan and other conservatives who won the cold war and defeated the NYTs commie buddies.
TOTAL MYTH that Ronnie Raygun ended Cold War. Read some first hand histories of Cold War, or Gorby’s books.
Here come the libYids who hate Nixon , Reagan , Rudy & Trump. What a chevra.
He will not be missed.
Only Fox News gives Ronnie credit. Try turning it off and reading objective news and books. I know it may send you to the E.R. but just try it if you’re so intellectual.
Ronnie increased Pentagon spending and useless “Star Wars” weaponry 500% but NOT to bankrupt the Soviet Union. It was to give a slush fund to Corporate mikitary industrial complex in USA. Gorby saw the decrepit USSR and dismantled it on his own.
Good riddance
The Cold War was ended by Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher and Pope John Paul II. Giving Gorbachev credit for ending the Cold War is the equivalent of giving Robert E. Lee credit for ending the Civil War.
He died of terminal head cold brought on by a bullet to the head