Final answer:
Mikhail Gorbachev needed to create an efficient economy and greater political freedom without causing the dissolution of the Soviet Union to succeed; however, his reforms ironically expedited its collapse.
Step-by-step explanation:
In order for Mikhail Gorbachev to succeed, the results he needed to produce included effectively implementing perestroika and glasnost, reforms aimed at modernizing the Soviet economy and creating political openness. While these reforms were intended to revitalize the Soviet Union, they inadvertently exposed deep-seated economic problems and ignited a push for independence among Soviet republics. Success for Gorbachev would have looked like a more efficient economic system, a reduction in military spending, and a peaceable transition to political openness without causing the disintegration of the Soviet Union. Instead, perestroika and glasnost led to widespread demands for autonomy and ultimately, conservative members of the Communist Party attempted a coup against Gorbachev, which was foiled. Despite his efforts, the reforms led to the ultimate collapse of the Soviet Union in December 1991, an outcome that was the opposite of what Gorbachev had hoped to achieve. This also marked the end of the Cold War, with significant reductions in the nuclear arsenals of both the Soviet Union and the United States through treaties such as the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), and the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty.