When I learned of the death of former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev today at the age of 91, the first thing that came to mind was that for a time he was the world's most important head of state.
Before Gorbachev came to power in 1985, the Soviet Union was a nuclear power that was as much of a mystery to much of the West as North Korea is today. While there is no doubt President Reagan's greatest legacy is ending the Cold War, he could not have done it with anyone other than Gorbachev who genuinely sought to reform Soviet society and open relations with the West through "glasnost" and "perestroika". His leadership brought a spirit of optimism which was admired the world over.
However, the collapse of the Soviet Union happened under Gorbachev's watch and he would become a despised figure at home and his influence would gradually recede. Gorbachev's glasnost would give way to Putin's personality cult. Gorbachev himself fell under that cult claiming Putin was "devoted to democracy".
But in recent years, Gorbachev was more critical of Putin and only last month he reportedly complained that Putin had undone all his work. It may take decades, if not centuries for someone of Gorbachev's political philosophy to have any meaningful power in Russia or anywhere else in the former Soviet Union. R.I.P.
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