Gorbachev proposes a staged abolition of nuclear weapons

The Central Committee chose Gorbachev, the youngest Soviet leader in decades. He inherited an empire-wide system marked by economic problems, national inequalities, restricted public debate, and a war...

Gorbachev’s first major policy initiative emphasized faster economic and technological development. The campaign began before perestroika became a broad reform program and retained top-down...

The USSR began a unilateral moratorium on nuclear explosions, timed to the anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing and initially set through January 1, 1986. The pledge made Kazakhstan’s test-site...

The leaders met for the first time at the Geneva Summit. Their talks began a new phase of direct engagement, but the encounter remained a negotiation between nuclear superpowers whose decisions...

Reagan and Gorbachev issued a joint statement affirming that nuclear war could not be won and must never be fought, while agreeing to continue talks. The declaration mattered as a diplomatic signal...

The congress endorsed perestroika and called for economic acceleration while preserving the party’s leading role. Public promises of renewal confronted entrenched centralized authority and the Union’s...

A reactor accident released radioactive materials across Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, and beyond. The evacuation and cleanup exposed residents and workers to serious risk, while secrecy delayed public...

After radiation alarms in Sweden and reports abroad, Soviet news briefly acknowledged an accident. The delay and lack of detail eroded trust among communities facing exposure and demonstrated the...

In his televised address, Gorbachev discussed the accident after nearly three weeks of limited public disclosure. His speech did not erase the consequences of delayed evacuation and uneven access to...

After years of confinement in Gorky, physicist and dissident Andrei Sakharov was allowed to return to Moscow. His release signaled a change in political climate while leaving many political...