What is the truth behind Gorbachev? Was he a reformer who believed that the Soviet system could be changed internally or a man who willingly overthrew the system he had grown up and worked for all his life when he saw it could not be reformed? Who supported his rise to power and what did they see in him? Were he and his wife so close given their public image?
Taubman presents an excellent portrait of the man, his wife and times. Born prior to World War II, he believed in the Soviet Union as the best chance for mankind to move forward. Despite the purges, the food shortages, the restrictions on private life, he worked hard to create success in areas under his control. Unlike other apparatchiks, he was well read, enjoyed various types of music, listened too and discuss matters everyday with his wife and was viewed as being outside the normal mold. Yet due to some of his achievements (being outstanding in a system staffed by individuals who were poorly trained and mostly corrupt was not that great an achievement), he caught the eye of supporters in Moscow including Andropov, the head of the Soviet secret police.
Yes, as time went on and he moved up the political ladder, he became frustrated with the centralization and corruption which stifled any chance for success at almost any level. By the time he assumed power, the leading economic indicators were showed that the system was only able to deliver 11% of over 300 key items. Everyday goods such as radios, televisions, dish washers, razor blades, kitchen cleans, shoes, etc. all to only be had by standing in line, hoping some would arrive. His attempts at changing the system were ineffectual and he lost valuable political capital by declaring war on vodka, making the same error Czar Nicholas II did at the start of World War I. Surrounded by old line bureaucrats, he was unable to place his people in key positions and was unable or unwilling to take a tougher line to increase his chances of success. Even when his political opponents declared that nothing was working, he could not bring others around to his point of view.
Taubman does do a good job of describing the various steps in the collapse of the Soviet Union, how step by step the various Republics began to move against the center. Surprisingly, he covers Solidarity and about half a page, ignoring the efforts of the Pope and Reagan to encourage Eastern Europe to move forward on their own.
Gorbachev comes across as a man who was unable to pull the trigger at key times; in consolidating his power, in applying pressure on the Eastern Bloc puppets, etc. At the same time, the United States is shown as making the same mistake it is so well known for; how to win the war, but lose the peace. Once it was clear that Gorbachev had bowed to various Western demands and had give up various key pieces of his power, President Bush (and various Western European leaders) cut him adrift with a handshake and a pat on the back.
Overall, a very good biography and history of a pivotal time in recent history. I recommend it strongly.
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