Question

Which answer choice BEST explains what happened after Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev made changes to modernize the Soviet Union?

O A. Those changes led to many countries in Eastern Europe leaving communism and Soviet influence
O B. European nations imposed embargoes on Soviet goods
C. Asian countries were brought into the Soviet sphere of influence
D. The Soviet Union surpassed the United States in nuclear technology

Answer 1

Mikhail Gorbachev's modernization efforts via glasnost and perestroika resulted in the unintentional weakening of the Soviet Union, leading to the rise of democratic movements and the eventual collapse of the USSR in 1991.

Step-by-step explanation:

The changes implemented by Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, which were intended to modernize the Soviet Union, inadvertently led to its dissolution.

Gorbachev's policies of glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring) encouraged political openness and economic reform that ultimately undermined the Soviet Union's control over Eastern Bloc countries.

Instead of using military force to maintain its influence, the Soviet Union, under Gorbachev, allowed for democratic movements within these countries.

This led to a wave of independence movements and the establishment of democratic governments in many Eastern European states, a process culminated with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.