Mikhail Gorbachev's Rise to Power and Leadership in the Soviet Union

Mikhail Gorbachev, the last leader of the Soviet Union, implemented reforms that led to the collapse of the Soviet Empire. Despite being relatively unknown initially, Gorbachev's background in a peasant family influenced his rejection of violence and his quest for modernization. He focused on economic reforms initially, aiming to make the nation more modern, which later expanded to include political restructuring and fostering socialism with a human face, emphasizing the well-being of ordinary Russians.