Gorbachev as Late-Soviet Shock Therapist

Abstract

This paper argues that to understand Gorbachev’s early policy choices, one must place them into the political context of late-Soviet politics. Gorbachev and his coalition came to power seeking not to replace the previous era’s economic policy priorities but to fulfill them. Their program derived from a belief in the priority of new technology to Soviet growth and the role of the ossified socio-economic system from incorporating innovations into production. As such, Gorbachev’s early actions – including a now derided drive to discipline labor and boost investment into new capital – were the core of his agenda to rapidly reconstruct the socio-economic system. This narrative pushes against characterizations of Gorbachev and his allies as figures who knew better but were stymied by powerful entrenched interests.