History glossary
Perestroika
Gorbachev's policy of restructuring the Soviet economy and political system.
- Category
- Soviet reform
- Region
- Soviet Union
- Date range
- 1980s
What it means
Perestroika means restructuring. Mikhail Gorbachev introduced it in the 1980s to revive the Soviet system through economic and political reforms, but it also exposed deep weaknesses and helped accelerate the Soviet Union's collapse.
Related terms
Stories using this term
The Soviets
From revolution to superpower, the Soviet Union rose, struggled internally, and collapsed in 1991.
The Collapse of the Soviet Union
From Gorbachev’s reforms to the lowering of the Soviet flag over the Kremlin, this story traces the rapid unravelling of the USSR and the end of the Cold War.
The World After The Cold War
From the fall of the Soviet Union to the rise of China and global terrorism, this story traces the turbulent reshaping of the international order after 1991.
