Скачать или смотреть Soviet Leader Mikhail Gorbachev in Communist Poland | Rare Cold War News Footage (1988)

On 11 July 1988, Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev arrived in the Polish capital of Warsaw. The Soviet leader’s six-day trip came at a time of acute economic crisis and growing political unrest in Poland, where demands for reform from both government and opposition were reaching a breaking point.

Gorbachev arrived just after announcing major reforms in the Soviet Union, known as perestroika (restructuring) and glasnost (openness), signalling a decisive shift in Moscow’s approach to its Eastern European allies. Polish leaders hoped the Soviet reformer's presence would legitimise and encourage their own stalled programs of political and economic 'renewal,' while intellectuals and many in the opposition viewed Gorbachev as the first Soviet leader genuinely open to reform in four decades.

During his visit, Gorbachev held crucial talks with Poland’s leader General Wojciech Jaruzelski, emphasising that 'colossal changes are coming in the USSR,' and underscoring Moscow’s new willingness to respect the sovereignty of its allies. Gorbachev notably refrained from pressuring the Polish authorities to crack down on dissent, breaking with previous Soviet policy and reassuring them that the USSR would not intervene militarily to stop reforms.

While ordinary Poles remained sceptical amid mounting economic hardship, the visit proved to be a turning point. Within a year, the Round Table talks led to partially free elections, Solidarity’s return to legal status, and Poland’s peaceful transition away from communist rule.

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