Demokratizatsiya (Soviet Union)

• 1. Gorbachev's Strategic Shift

  ›

  Mikhail Gorbachev stood before the Soviet people in January 1987 and announced a new direction for his country. He introduced the word demokratizatsiya as a call to inject democratic elements into the single-party system. This was not merely a policy tweak but a fundamental change in how he intended to govern. For years, Gorbachev had worked within the existing structures of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. He believed that reforming the party from the inside would be enough to fix economic stagnation and social apathy. The Twenty-Seventh Party Congress held in February 1986 marked the beginning of this initial approach. Yet by early 1987, he realized that working through the old guard was failing. Conservative members blocked every attempt at meaningful change. Gorbachev decided to bypass them entirely. He appealed directly to the public over the heads of party officials. This shift meant abandoning the strategy of quiet internal maneuvering for open political liberalization. He hoped that ordinary citizens would support his reforms if given a voice. The goal was to rejuvenate the party with fresh personnel who could carry out institutional changes. The ballot box remained under sole custody of the Communist Party, but the process of selecting candidates began to change.

• 2. The 19th Party Conference Reforms

  ›

  June 1988 brought the first major gathering of the Communist Party since 1941. Gorbachev used this moment to launch radical measures designed to reduce party control over government apparatus. Delegates met at the 19th Party Conference to discuss sweeping structural changes. He called for multicandidate elections for regional and local legislatures as well as for party first secretaries. The conference insisted on separating the government apparatus from party bodies at the regional level. An overwhelming majority of conservatives opposed these ideas yet still accepted the reform proposals due to party obedience to higher authorities. Experts later described the event as a successful step in promoting party-directed change from above. Despite setbacks, Gorbachev continued his policy of glasnost while enjoying worldwide perception as a reformer. The atmosphere inside the hall reflected deep tension between those wanting more speed and those demanding caution. Gorbachev managed to force acceptance of his plans through sheer political will and organizational discipline. This conference marked the turning point where abstract slogans became concrete legislative action. It set the stage for the creation of new governmental structures that would redefine power distribution across the Soviet Union.

• 3. Restructuring Governmental Bodies

  ›

  September 1988 saw an emergency Central Committee plenum convened by Mikhail Gorbachev to reshape leadership roles. Three old-guard members left the Politburo or lost positions of power during this meeting. Andrei Gromyko retired from the Politburo after deciding to leave before the session began. Yegor Ligachev was relieved of the ideology portfolio within the Secretariat. Boris Pugo replaced Mikhail Solomentsev as chairman of the powerful CPSU Party Control Committee. The Supreme Soviet then elected Gorbachev chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet. This gave him attributes of power previously held only by Leonid Brezhnev. These changes meant that the Secretariat had lost much of its former authority over state policies. In December 1988, the Supreme Soviet approved formation of the Congress of People's Deputies. Constitutional amendments established this body as the new legislative branch of government. The Supreme Soviet dissolved itself to make room for this larger assembly. A smaller working body of 542 members called the Supreme Soviet was elected from the 2,250-member Congress. One-third of seats were reserved for the Communist Party and other public organizations to ensure a majority.

• 4. The Historic March 1989 Elections

  ›

  March 1989 marked the first time voters in the Soviet Union chose membership of a national legislative body. Results stunned the ruling elite across the country. Voters crossed off unopposed Communist candidates on ballots including many prominent party officials. They took advantage of the nominal privilege of withholding approval of listed candidates. Despite these actions, the resulting Congress still contained 87 percent Communist Party members. Genuine reformists won only around 300 seats out of thousands available. The initial session began in May and electrified the nation through live television broadcasts. For two weeks deputies railed against every scandal and shortcoming of the Soviet system. Speakers spared neither Gorbachev nor the KGB or military institutions. Nevertheless a conservative majority maintained control of the congress throughout its duration. Boris Yeltsin obtained a seat in the Supreme Soviet only when another deputy relinquished his position. This moment represented the last real control Gorbachev held over political life in the Soviet Union. The election demonstrated that while the system remained intact, public trust had shifted dramatically toward new voices.

• 5. Rise of The Inter-Regional Group

  ›

  Summer 1989 witnessed formation of the first opposition bloc within the Congress of People's Deputies. It was named the Inter-Regional Group under leadership of Boris Yeltsin. Members included almost all liberal and Russian nationalist members of the opposition. A primary issue for this group was repeal of Article 6 of the constitution. That article prescribed supremacy of the Communist Party over all institutions in society. Faced with pressure from opposition groups and needing allies against hardliners, Gorbachev moved to repeal it. By February 1990 Central Committee plenum approved removal of Article 6. Later that month before the Supreme Soviet he proposed creation of president office for himself. He intended to be elected by Congress rather than through popular elections. In March 1990 Gorbachev won election for third time in eighteen months to head of state role. Anatoly Lukyanov became chairman of the Supreme Soviet following these changes. Debates were televised daily making the process visible to millions of citizens. The Supreme Soviet began resembling Western parliaments in structure and function during this period.

• 6. Repealing Article Six And Creating A Presidency

  ›

  February 1990 marked legal dismantling of the Communist Party monopoly on power across the Soviet Union. Gorbachev obtained repeal of Article 6 through a Central Committee plenum meeting. This action removed constitutional guarantees that had kept the party supreme since 1936. Later that same month he proposed establishment of new presidential office within government framework. The Congress of People's Deputies would elect him as president instead of holding direct national votes. In March 1990 Gorbachev was elected for third time in eighteen months to equivalent head-of-state position. Former first deputy chairman Anatoly Lukyanov took over chairmanship of the Supreme Soviet. Daily televised debates transformed the legislative body into something similar to Western parliamentary systems. By July 1990 at the Twenty-Eighth Party Congress liberals viewed the CPSU as anachronistic and unable to lead. Branches in fifteen republics split into pro-sovereignty and pro-union factions weakening central control further. The majority of apparatchiks succeeded in obtaining leading positions in newly formed democratic institutions despite losing their traditional dominance.

• 7. Unintended Consequences Of Democratization

  ›

  July 1990 brought realization that reforms had triggered forces beyond Gorbachev's original design. Nationalities of constituent republics pulled harder than ever to break away from Union. Without authority of party in Soviet center, republics moved toward dismantling both party and state itself. For seventy years the Communist Party had been cohesive force keeping union together. Now its separation from government stripped it of function overseeing national economy. Branches in many republics began splitting into large pro-sovereignty and pro-union factions. This fragmentation weakened central party control across all fifteen Soviet republics. Liberals and nationalists regarded the CPSU as outdated and incapable of guiding country forward. The result was acceleration of nationalist movements that ultimately led to dissolution of Soviet Union. What started as effort to rejuvenate party ended up accelerating its collapse instead. By end of 1990 the system Gorbachev sought to save no longer existed in any meaningful form.