over the issue, he made a surprise announcement and said that the soviet union was ready to sign the treaty without delay. in december 1987, the u. s. s. are in the u. s. signed a deal to eliminate intermediate range nuclear forces. here you can see the iconic picture of corbett. chevy reagan, when they agreed to destroy their missiles, stopped producing them and pledged not to carry out flight tests of intermediate of intermediate range missiles, professor of politics and the author of the rise and fall of communism. archie brown says gorbachev's should be given credit for averting a devastating nuclear war. there were many western leaders who went well as many people in the soviet military industrial complex who thought that was utopia and couldn't happen and shouldn't happen. marcus, actually, for example, was very much opposed to achieve in favor of position nuclear weapons. so gorbachev really was ahead of his time and, and that particular respect, he and reagan, so i to, i don't think they were successful in getting rid of nuclear weapons. so they did

to greatly reduce the size of nuclear arsenals, and certainly they were successful and ending the cold war. the question about they got the chocolate deleting row and ending the cold war. and we shouldn't be installed for that because never could have begun by accidents or all sorts of ways in which our devastating nuclear war could have broken out. and gorbachev certainly more than anyone else, plays a decisive role in ending that threat. any of the ussr as foreign commitments ended during gorbachev's rule, one of the most significant of which was the enrollment of a collective defense treaty among communist states in europe. the warsaw pact which marked the end of the cold war and led to the withdrawal of the soviet army from european countries. the council for mutual economic assistance in the eastern bloc, also known as comic con, was also disbanded, as well as there was also the withdrawal of soviet armed forces from afghanistan

after 10 years of war. 979 canister. the situation is volatile, the peoples democratic party is in danger. being toppling the afghan government calls on the u. s. hassan to intervene and helped to stabilize the country. so government is worried by the end of the year. it looks like tensions could spill over the buddha. into the soviet central asian republics. a december, the 12th 1979, the soviet government secretly decides to send in the troops was only meant to be a short term military operation to secure the u. s. hassan. southern borders instead of the soviet union was dragged into an almost decade long campaign. a march 1985 moscow. mikhail gorbachev comes to power only several months

later. and soviet troops switch from engaging and direct battles with the afghan opposition to advising and assisting pro government forces. april 1988 agreements from the settlement of the situation in afghanistan assigned the un headquarters in geneva, the u. s. and the ussr serving as guarantors, your courts also include provisions for the time table. the soviet withdrawal from afghanistan is what is restrictions on the u. s. and pakistan supporting the afghan, which any dean. a withdrawal began on may, 15th 1988 and took 9 months. 10 years over 600000 soviet soldiers took part in the afghan war with almost 14000 killed. february 1989, soon end to the deadly conflict. as the last soviet troops left the country

all together on this run across live now to our guest. dimitri babich, a political analyst at the in us me internet media project. thanks a lot for joining us on the program. so do you think becau gorbachev's death came unexpectedly? no, he was an old man. in a way, i think it was like it was a sort of punishment for him because if he had died in 996 when he tried to run for bread and maybe even before that because it was humiliate. and he was just about 2 percent of all of that. so i would say that he presided over an own blog last dismemberment on the soviet union. and unfortunately was about to leave to see some of the consequences or what he did or what he failed to do

in the way, 8 years in 19901991. and i know that he felt very sad about it. it was not readable, but he saw all the tragic events or the last few years. and he understood that it was partly useful while, you know, after the fall of the ussr, he has gone on record saying that, you know, defending the policies that he put in place. do you think that the perestroika and glass most policies could have worked if they were, may be implemented in a different way or was this plan doomed to begin with? well, you know, he was a very optimistic person by me share and he always fall justification for yourself. that was part of the game in the soviet leadership role is the ranks of party no matter what to renew that $970.00 is an engine ages. are not everything

about british broker was a favor, you know, their rehabilitation. well, the russian orthodox church, which took place on the hill, it was in 1988 that you know, it became more symbol to you know, to publish for the grabs of church services in the newspapers. church leaders became public. it was all thanks to hear me. i was living and then you know all their christianity in russia and were to basically rehabilitate the church. that was a success. you know, he's 40, see, or religion people will brought without permission without getting the soul entities that want to success. so a lot of things he did were successful just the consequences or some of his re force where trick and it only to some years to see that that or that tragedy. but certainly he did a lot of good things. i remember, you know,

there was a very famous colleague, boy with david cool, tina, who, when he was asked, what did it could do for us? he honest, it's very short and briefly. it made us human. and everyone understood what would you know for math in they didn't get every minute. but, you know, people in the sort of union became human, nor just speaking mario and that, you know, speaking slowly, you know, a lot of people, at least in the public sphere where they were almost in human. and gorbachev made almost all of them human. what kind of legacy do you think he left for the post soviet countries that were not russia? well i think that the, basically the c will was inside actually all the was in the former soviet union civil war because we watch the same areas and we went to the same schools. we

wore the same laws and it was a very unique terry and country. so this was started on the hill. basically if you could car box, the 1987, a ga war started that 991. and they found the standard why? you know, the nationalist and all of these republics, they failed. why that modem, some movie, you know, the story is in, in more while we cannot leave there, let us redraw the waters. it's now or never, you know, we've got to expand our therapies. so that was very result of the weakness or central following the soviet union. and then these was continue a sort of hired us, which is itself when again $949096.00. that was we start up for a different reason because natal started to expand and we've had this 1st i would

say a war call if i need to expand from the georgia what already in 2008. and it was also a result of the dissolution of the soviet union that was doesn't want to admit that . so what we're chose, legacy on that is, is very nice. you know, he or she is referrals were human, but they also started a lot of it's in good in that see what was in the former soviet union. so he had legacy was mixed and will remain. the historians will argue about it and simple people in the former soviet union will argue about it. would you was, i understand you met him personally and didn't interview with gorbachev. that's correct. what. what kind of impression did you get from him as a person? and what did you discuss in the interview? well, he was a very charming person. when he talked to you,

you felt like you meant a lot to him. this is a way of real. this is the reason why he managed to charge me with the people i can draw both ways to clear raise him to that are hard to follow. so it was very clever to dr. young. he was a very nice person. i'm also looking to see him revealed family witnesses. he didn't like to speak about the role of all the dog sites or his legacy. he always wants to read all the sign in the war and this is something that some people cannot forgive him. i mean, he was an idealist. he didn't want to be the full brightest will be, you know, when i did it. i mean, if you're an idealist, the face of the sequences of your actions leave the hardwire that we've had to

leave in the, in the ninety's. you know, when the soviet union collapsed and instead, warburton with his family, went to negative people in brazil. holiday should conduct the referrals he needed to tina. there was, i stayed. europe, of course, people in russia did not feel very well about it. so she is, she is, you know, next year is a mixed one. i can tell you that for julian, his, he was an ideal bottom just one more question here for you. what do you think about the legacy he left behind after the fall of the soviet union? i mean, he's engaged in some political activism, supporting nuclear disarmament. a speaking out against or about rather social and environmental problems. what. what do you think about that? has that gone just largely ignored or do you think he's made more of an impact that way? well, you know,

he left us the huge problem with the cold war was the only war in human history that isn't and with any kind of document with any kind of agreement, he didn't find any paper that will set out the conditions which the, the war is so the worst interpreted as you know, the west and victory and the defeat or the soviet union. gorbachev argued against it, but i think normal authority, germany enough and the fact that he accepted awards from them was the fact that he said it broke his birth. the northern russia bought the far away in the english speaking world, that, of course, did not speak to his advantage. but the, if you pay attention to some of the things he did, he drives to remain useful. he did a lot of charity more and left me our western viewers. he was

despised by the new authorities in your great, what about your, was the a song and on even the, in the, in the rain of foreign sky. that tells you something about the nature or the regime in your really, it is not a georgia regime because more than ukraine. also this existence to a large extent, to mister gorbachev personally. and they declared him a persona graph so that there was something not involved. what about your, what about the router you bring a machine? or dmitri bob, it's a political analyst at the me internet media project. thanks a lot for joining us on the program to talk about that. thank you. one of the greatest achievements of the last soviet leader was the fall of the berlin wall on november 9th, 1989 that led to the reunification of germany. after being divided for almost half

a century. this is how the historic event unfolded. ah 1989 the year when the berlin wall fell together with the political, ideological and territorial division of germany, the last 28 long years or the people of germany awaken 1961 to the bitter reality from this moment told they would be divided by barbed wire, concrete, and stones from their friends and relatives throughout the walls, existence more than 10000 people tried to make it across. hundreds were killed. and mikhail gorbachev played a crucial role making a peaceful re unification possible. ah, come here to this gate. mister gorbachev. open this gate. ah mister gorbachev,

tear down this was in 1989 mikhail gorbachev visited germany promoting perestroika and glass. no. see my heritage got about and people longing for change quickly followed his ideas. the leadership of the communist party in moscow was much more open, much smiling, reacting on the political questions of the time. ah, i think that he wanted to make thee the leaders of the eastern world understand you have to accept that we live in times of changing. and if we don't react, we will be pushed by side ah, for his work on improving relations between the east and west mikhail gorbachev was awarded the nobel peace prize and was twice named time magazines, man,

year in 2014 germany marked a quarter century since the fall of the berlin wall mikhail gorbachev was a special guest. at the ceremony, he visited the infamous checkpoint charlie, which had previously divided the city between soviet and western control and released one of the 8000 balloons illuminating where the wall used to be. at the time, garbage of praise relations between the russian and german peoples. yeah, go who's still i'm proud of what we've achieved together. i think the both people of russia and germany are proud of the fact that we are united and that our relationship is exemplary. but bear in mind that many unhappy about it, but it suits us, doesn't it? and judging from experience when russia and germany are on friendly terms, europe is calm and happy is good for them and it's good for the world. the former chancellor of austria told us that gorbachev's role in the reunification of germany

paved the way to amicable relations between moscow and berlin. nothing. this is his legacy that with his decision to make it possible a peaceful relief. occasional europe, a peaceful, really vacation of germany, to free to let these, these former satellites, countries of poland, bold picks, a cetera go independently. it was in a great decision, a great and, and courageous decision. and the fact to eat, made it possible with the, especially with unification of germany that russia in germany can really now forge in lasting friendship for the years to come for the, for the future. this was the decisive more in history. i know the, some reluctance is and negative views in russia today, but i think all,

this is a great legacy. what michelle gorbachev gave to the world, especially to europe and how garbage is not only known for his new political thinking policies towards the west, but also for his love of western culture. during his time, he rubbed elbows with hollywood stars featured in a european clothing campaign, and even start and a pizza hut advertisement. oh, he's not all of us. we discourage his wisdom and his vision, and of course he's tremendous. will a real person ever kind? i like to the new my to 91 days people you my going from our is head with me.

ah, a actual at the city wellness, like i know you better back a on

the homefront gorbachev's implemented a swath of domestic domestic social, political, and economic reforms including the complete democratization of soviet policies and a boost for the economy. of course, no discussion of soviet policies would be complete without mentioning glasnost and paris strike up. last, last was the transparent discussion of political and social issues as well as the free circulation of news and information. as a result, ecological problems parked politicians, privileges, and soviet bureaucracy were all fair game to discuss. perestroika was the democratic restructuring of the soviet political and economic systems. however, many things that perestroika was a failure. it led to a collapse in industry and dire shortages of consumer goods leaving to long queues for even the most basic of necessities. the weak economy sparked massive social unrest. thousands of angry citizens protested in the streets over poor living

conditions. and we spoke to a political scientist earlier, who says people felt betrayed after politicians, back tracked on promises of prosperity and democracy. the democracy without market economy. that didn't work for one simple reason. when people were allowed to ask questions, the worst question they asked in economy of deficit was, where is the food? where are the commodities? when they were allowed to watch television including the west and television, they saw the western stores and they compared the 2 stores in the soviet union. and their question was absolutely evident. so where is all this? and of course they blamed the communist party. earlier we heard from political analyst, alexander robert, who says that garbage have lost control of his own reforms and the communist party . i would say that until 809 go back for many things

in the soviet union and the firm control some very good ideas had been implemented in, in the reforming reform process in the soviet union. we had glass unless we had to be destroyed or russia sorta sorta unions. image was improving and the relations with united states in the west were improving from week to week. but in the 90 and 91 things were seen of course very difficult and different. and i think that that, that these 2 years where were periods were go bunch of was running after events. he was not increments of politics anymore. core which was reacting and not acting here, was prepared to pay almost any price in order to receive the needed credits from outside. he saw the distributors ation of his own country. he had lost already control over eastern europe, and he was losing control of his own party of his own establishment and releasing,

also fearing an altar a cool in his own country. he was very weak despite strong criticism of perestroika and its consequences. garbage have continued to insist, it was not a failure. it had just been derailed. usual that i don't agree when people say the perestroika failed, it didn't fail. it was disrupted, derailed at the beginning of 1990 gorbachev's approval rating, and the ussr stood at 70 percent. but by the end of the year it dropped to only 20 percent. the soviet people felt let down by perestroika when their hopes for a better future were not met. at the same time, gorbachev's rating in the west remained quite high at 81 percent in the u. s. and 75 percent in germany in britain and 70 percent in italy. jack matlock who one served as us ambassador to the soviet union recounts the difficulties that corpus had faced he was very much

a transformative leader. i think he was trying to, number one, put it into the cold war, which with cooperation was to american presidents. he was able to do that. but he also wanted to free his own people from the straight jacket that the communist system had imposed. he would say in private, at times that a russian history was such that the country had always been ruled top down. but if you look out at the world at that time, the successful countries, the ones that were adapt and were ruled bottom up. and so he said, you know, our task is to turn russian history upside down to let our people begin to rule themselves so to speak. and but that he could not reinvent history or reinvent the russian people. and that. busy the country was not yet

accustomed to making the sort of choices that were necessary so it was going to take time. so i think he was realistic about that. a slew of economic, social, and political failures during perestroika led to an attempted coup in august of $991.00 with senior government and military officials. trying to take control of the country away from gorbachev and failed in just 3 days, but precipitated the dissolution of the soviet union with future liter, boris yeltsin coming to the for august, the 19th, 1991 on every tv channel in the country. a continuous loop of the ballet swan lake . meanwhile, in moscow, dramatic scenes were playing out a moment. vehicles rolling into the capitol. the president of the usa seller is out of town and not a house arrest. is holiday home in crimea. will radio and t v announcements

proclaimed mikhail gorbachev was no longer fit for duty and the country was now under the control of an emergency committee. ah, that is this new motion to stoop assist? i use that or yeah, the phoning you got about show me failing to teach them. so if i doesn't listy, place it into these anesthesia 3 of william shuttle. okay. play awfully. seeing him at his teaching is up on misty but at least teaches a chain. a pleasure, any of us didn't with me at 1st, if it's a sad muscle. faith nick, independent media shut down, people across the soviet union and left struggling to understand what exactly is happening. almost device for waking up to around $4000.00 truth and hundreds of times the streets. the co attempt was masterminded by communist hotline as they wanted to the rail, a pending agreement on wide ranging sovereignty for soviet republic,

but tens of thousands of protest. this began heading outside, forming around the russian government, had quoted russian leda boris yeltsin famously defied the takeover from the tub. i knew on by the evening, 6 more tanks join yelled inside the next, a crowds outside the white house continue to grow. ah, on august the 21st 3 people it kills when andy cooper, a column of almond vehicles ah, a day later gorbachev returns to moscow has the attempted overthrow effectively collapses. as the russian frequency becomes the official state flag in the symbolic sign of victory, the hard line communist truth

mikhail gorbachev may have long since retired from governance, but he always remained a local influence on a vocal influence rather on russia's political course. let's have a listen in the more or less good, if it, if you can, we must move on from a blame game to search for common ground undergraduate lifting of sanctions. your sanctions, which are damaging to both sides as a 1st step, we should lift the so called personal sanction effect politicians and parliamentarians for she will de nato, is there some reason determined that ukraine to join it? there's an ongoing struggle from regional domination, but no side miss dominate in this cross roads region. so recently we've

seen a collapse of the trust that i've been created in the process of ending the cold war. but it wasn't undermined yesterday before even triumphalism went to the heads of western leaders taking advantage of a weakening russia. they claimed a monopoly, a leadership and domination in the world. examples the largest of native yugoslavia . cost of my cell defense plans, iraq, libya and syria. the more outside pressure is piled on president putin. the higher his approval ratings become among the russian public. because garbage have, well, no doubt, go down in history for the many things he did as a political leader. but he will also be remembered for the tremendous love he had for his wife reisa maxime of now. you always said she was the driving force of his life. and after she died he admitted that he had never felt so lonely. unlike the wives of most former soviet leaders, reiser got about chava, accompanied her husband unofficial visits the death of his beloved wife from cancer

in 1999, left him devastated. here's what he wrote after she died in a german clinic o. the agenda jump in the former soviet attache on cultural affairs in the u. s. recalls the close bonds that gorbachev shared with his wife, saying people who personally knew the couple admired both of them. you look the not extremely because he didn't show he looked as the normal human being took him to us. i accompanied teresa machine. you're going to love and shows are very close to each other and they think so much, you know, was.