The Year of the Poet VII September 2020

Foreword:1990 Nobel Peace Prize recipient Mikhail Gorbachev the former president of Russia was the eighth and last leader of Russia's Soviet Union ' USSR. He held that office for about one and a half years early 1990 to August 1991. He held a number of high-level positions in a long active career as an organizer, activist, politician, statesmen etc. to list a few hats he wore. Note: His credits are massive so i will attempt to present an overview. He is noted for his progressive social/political leanings certainly by Soviet Russian standards a departure from the orthodox Communist party line. Born in 1931 to a poor family of Russian / Ukrainian heritage. He grew up in the Joseph Stalin years and as a young man was involved in farming and operated combine harvesters on a collective farm. Combine harvesters are versatile farm machinery that harvest a variety of grain crops by performing reaping, threshing and winnowing thus combine harvesting. He joined the Communist party that governed the Soviet Union at that time as a one-party state under Stalin. At that time Gorbachev embraced the dominant, popular Marxist-Leninist doctrine. He entered Moscow State University where eventually met his future wife fellow student Raisa Titarenko. They married in 1953 prior to receiving his law degree in 1955. He soon began working for a youth organization after Stalin's death became active in the ' de-Stalinization ' reforms of Stalin's successor Nikita Khrushchev. By this time, he was recognized enough to be appointed the First Party Secretary of the Stavropol Regional Committee in 1970. He continued to rise up in the party until he eventually became de facto head of government in 1985. Around that time, it became apparent his social /political beliefs were beginning to develop a social/democratic slant in his thinking although still committed to preserving the socialist ideals of the Soviet state saw that it was time to engage in significant reforms especially after the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. Therefore, he withdrew from support of the Soviet-Afghan War, proceeded to establish dialog with United States President Reagan to limit nuclear weapons end the cold war. Domestically he introduced ' glasnost ' (openness) allowed for enhanced freedom of speech and the press. His 'perestroika' (restructuring) to improve economic efficiency, democratization measures, formation of the elected Congress of People's Deputies. He declined military action when various eastern Bloc countries abandoned Marxist/Leninist governance in 1989-90 showing tolerance with their decision. Because of his untraditional governing an unsuccessful Coup attempt was made against Gorbachev in 1991. Afterwards the Soviet Union dissolved and Gorbachev resigned. He then launched his Gorbachev Foundation and he became a vocal critic against Boris Yeltsin and Vladimir Putin and campaigned for Russia's democratic movement. He became an advocate for the reunification of East and West Germany of course including bringing down the wall. He ultimately received the coveted Nobel Peace Prize in 1990 especially for his efforts to end the cold war.Mikhail Gorbachev is an extraordinary human being with a record of amazing accomplishments over his life. He is a unifier bringing the world together in peace and harmony and he dedicated his life to that in a totalitarian regime that being Communist Soviet Russia, USSR and succeeded where others couldn't mainly because of his diplomatic skills and natural ability to connect with people across a broad spectrum of ideologies with dignity and respect affording dignity and respect to whoever he encountered. He is the consummate statesman and a major world figure of the second half of the 20th Century. Mikhail Gorbachev is a peacemaker ...]