The last head of state and party leader of the Soviet Union failed in many ways, but the Germans in particular have reason to be grateful. Even if he distorts her image of Russia to this day.
comment by
Stephen Cornelius
Mikhail Gorbachev was a historical exception, his political work shapes the world to this day. It is therefore not surprising that a man of this energy also polarises opinions. Those who have benefited from Gorbachev’s courage worship him; whoever suffered or lost under him will curse him. What is crucial in everything is that history is never the product of a single person or a single decision. History arises from the accumulation of events and countless subsequent events for which many are responsible. The collapse of the Soviet Union was not the work of Gorbachev alone – and Vladimir Putin is not just a product of Gorbachev’s policies. But it is undeniable that the last General Secretary of the CPSU and President of the Soviet Union was a key figure in world history.