Question

Who among the following was the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Soviet Union in 1985?

• A. Joseph Stalin
• B. Mikhail Gorbachev
• C. Leonid Brezhnev
• D. Nikita Khrushchev

Hint:

Associate 1985 directly with the start of the final phase of the Soviet Union. Gorbachev's dual policies of Glasnost (Openness) and Perestroika (Restructuring), introduced right after his accession in 1985, unintentionally paved the way for the dissolution of the USSR in 1991.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Historical Context of the Soviet Leadership in the 1980s:
By the early 1980s, the Soviet political system was suffering from a severe crisis of leadership known as gerontocracy (rule by elderly leaders). Following the death of the long-serving Leonid Brezhnev in 1982, the leadership passed in rapid succession to Yuri Andropov and Konstantin Chernenko, both of whom passed away within months of taking office.

Step 2: Rise of Mikhail Gorbachev:
Upon the death of Konstantin Chernenko, the Politburo elected a relatively young, reform-minded leader, Mikhail Gorbachev, as the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) in March 1985. His tenure was defined by the introduction of radical structural reforms aimed at revitalizing the stagnating Soviet economy and political system.

Step 3: Evaluating Other Options:

• Joseph Stalin served as General Secretary from 1922 until his death in 1953.
• Nikita Khrushchev served as the First Secretary from 1953 until he was deposed in 1964.
• Leonid Brezhnev led the party from 1964 until his death in 1982. Thus, only Mikhail Gorbachev corresponds to the year 1985.