I've seen many people on this site talk about how if Andropov lived longer he could have prevented the collapse of the USSR or at least increased its odds of survival. I'm curious as to what his reforms were that people here mention.
I've seen many people on this site talk about how if Andropov lived longer he could have prevented the collapse of the USSR or at least increased its odds of survival. I'm curious as to what his reforms were that people here mention.
If the entire system collapsing depended on whether one dude kicked the bucket... then the system didn't collapse just because one dude kicked the bucket. Being in a position where that could happen is what did it.
Yeah its true it wasn't just one guy, a lot had to go wrong. I don't think Gorby helped though, I do think it's possible in some alt history to preserve the USSR but it'd have to change significantly, and would probably lose the Baltics (but the rest obviously stays). I dunno if they could do dengism without glasnost and the political part of perestroika like some people say, the PRC was able to continue with their reforms because they saw how the USSR cracked open because of both.
I think there's a view of these leaders that makes sense: they are the leaders of factions, and act as placeholders for them. Gorbachev having power takes the party leadership's consent. The party itself establishes who is leadership. Gorbachev is both a symptom and cause of decay in the party apparatus.