Mikhail Gorbachev gone!

[Gumboot]

Dead at 91. Such a massively influential figure of the late 20th century. RIP

[inactionman]

Dead at 91. Such a massively influential figure of the late 20th century. RIP

RIP. A shame, and a shame he was usurped by Yeltsin.

[fishfoodie]

Dead at 91. Such a massively influential figure of the late 20th century. RIP

RIP. A shame, and a shame he was usurped by Yeltsin.

Yeltsin was Russia's Bumblecunt !

He was affable, lazy, incompetent, & surrounded by people who were only interested in looting the Nation.

I think the attempted coup, caused serious health issues for Gorbachev, & he really wasn't in a position to continue in office, & I don't think it was really practical anyway, when the Russians, & all the Republics, were in turmoil & the main Parties were Nationalist in nature.

[Kiwias]

RIP to one of the most influential world leaders of the era.

[Guy Smiley]

RIP for Mikhail...

ironic that the incredible scenes of the Berlin Wall being knocked down by hand as his reform hit home and became reality for all of us were later supplanted by Yeltsin dancing drunk on stage.

[Torquemada 1420]

In many ways, more influential than Mandela. Hard to imagine the Cold Was coming to an end as quickly as it did (if at all ) had he not been at the helm.

[tabascoboy]

[GogLais]

I’m a bit surprised he was still living in Russia given the grief he was getting from some for the collapse of the USSR.

[Torquemada 1420]

I’m a bit surprised he was still living in Russia given the grief he was getting from some for the collapse of the USSR.

Didn't his wife die in Germany?

[Uncle fester]

Complicated legacy. Because of him, we got "make Russia great again" leaders like Yeltsin and Putin.

[Hugo]

Whatever else he was he was a great humanitarian and a true believer in socialism.

Strikes me that an internationalist like him would have found his true calling working in the United Nations.

[GogLais]

Complicated legacy. Because of him, we got "make Russia great again" leaders like Yeltsin and Putin.

I don’t like historical what-ifs - too many variables - but it’s a big leap to argue that someone else would have turned Russia into something very different.

[GogLais]

I’m a bit surprised he was still living in Russia given the grief he was getting from some for the collapse of the USSR.

Didn't his wife die in Germany?

Yes, she was being treated for leukaemia in Munster, that’s Munster with an umlaut of course.

[Kiwias]

Complicated legacy. Because of him, we got "make Russia great again" leaders like Yeltsin and Putin.

Somewhat harsh to blame Gorbachev for the drunken blunders of Yeltsin or the power-crazed idiocy of Putin.

[laurent]

I’m a bit surprised he was still living in Russia given the grief he was getting from some for the collapse of the USSR.

Didn't his wife die in Germany?

Yes, she was being treated for leukaemia in Munster, that’s Munster with an umlaut of course.

It's a cheese and Munster is in France

On Gorbatchev he brought a lot of positive and some negative whilst trying to keep USSR together.
In the end the transition to a democratic state did not succeed.

[Uncle fester]

Complicated legacy. Because of him, we got "make Russia great again" leaders like Yeltsin and Putin.

Somewhat harsh to blame Gorbachev for the drunken blunders of Yeltsin or the power-crazed idiocy of Putin.

Need to find the article running through all the political missteps he made that led to the rise of Yeltsin. Basically he underestimated him and was indecisive when he could have swatted Yeltsin quickly enough.

[Uncle fester]

Putin snubbing the funeral btw.

[GogLais]

Didn't his wife die in Germany?

Yes, she was being treated for leukaemia in Munster, that’s Munster with an umlaut of course.

It's a cheese and Munster is in France

Looks to be as near Germany as makes no difference. Better put a in.

[fishfoodie]

Whatever else he was he was a great humanitarian and a true believer in socialism.

Strikes me that an internationalist like him would have found his true calling working in the United Nations.

He was also brave in a way that other Politicians just weren't, East of West, & in the East, brave often ended up with an ice pick in the ear, & your family in the gulag, !

I think it was the Reykjavík summit where he arrived, & when things went well, he immediately upped the stake, & totally flustered the US, because the were expecting the usual tortuous process of negotiation, before any Treaty,or even before the scope of the reduction could be agreed; & he came along and straight up presented the US with a deal to massively reduce Nuclear weapons.

[laurent]

Yes, she was being treated for leukaemia in Munster, that’s Munster with an umlaut of course.

It's a cheese and Munster is in France

Looks to be as near Germany as makes no difference. Better put a in.

The Germans stole the place a few times :p

[Torquemada 1420]

I’m a bit surprised he was still living in Russia given the grief he was getting from some for the collapse of the USSR.

Didn't his wife die in Germany?

Yes, she was being treated for leukaemia in Munster, that’s Munster with an umlaut of course.