Gorbachev, Reform, and the Brezhnev Doctrine: Soviet Policy Toward Eastern Europe, 1985-1990

Most people will admit that in 1985 they could not imagine that during their lifetime the Soviet Union would permit the Berlin Wall to fall, would allow democratic elections in Eastern Europe, and would withdraw its troops from the region, ending the Cold War. Yet, between 1985 and 1990, the Soviet Union reoriented its foreign policy rapidly, decisively, and peacefully. This book explains why the Soviet Union abandoned its long-term policy toward Eastern Europe: specifically, why the Gorbachev regime abandoned the Brezhnev Doctrine. This study of the decisions that resulted in the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe helps us understand the factors and forces behind not only Gorbachev’s Eastern European policy but also Moscow’s foreign policy in general, Soviet internal democratisation, and the large-scale historical change in the 20th century. This book should be valuable reading for those concerned with contemporary international and military relations and Eastern European studies.