Mikhail Gorbachev Becomes Leader of the Soviet Union - 3/11/1985 - ABC Nightline (full broadcast)

Fascinating discussion with Henry Kissinger, Denis Healey and a former Soviet diplomat about the new General Secretary of the USSR and what changes Gorbachev might bring to his country and to US-Soviet relations.

[@Velts125]

Hasn't the standard of journalism absolutely crashed in the last 34 years

[@user-cq7db9ij1o]

Yes. Its worldwide. also the quality of speeches of policy makers/diplomats etc.

[@humanforfreedom9583]

Yes it’s been monopolised by a handful of Zionist billionaires who have a overt imperialistic and yet far left domestic agenda

[@diegobotto6245]

@@humanforfreedom9583 Based

[@alicaljungberg3742]

He even pronounces the Russian name Gorbachev perfectly. It's like journalists back then gave a shit and practiced to say things properly or something

[@civlyzed]

@@alicaljungberg3742 Yep, and Koppel speaks German and French too. I enjoyed watching him on Nightline during my college days.

[@gigglecompass1]

“Let’s wait a few years and see what Gorbachev will do” Prophetic

[@rjjcms1]

Given how entrenched the realities of the situation seemed then,boy were people in for some big surprises.

[@DMS-pq8]

Who would have thought that just six years later the Soviet Union would be no more

[@MirceaBv]

They, especially from the late 70's and since they were loosing the war in Afghanistan.

[@KillerofWestoids]

@MirceaBv Even in 1989, after most of the Warsaw Pact countries had collapsed, the USSR was still very stable. Most economists said that even in 1988, the USSR was facing economic problems but none of them were critical enough to cause political instability. The Soviet Union started having problems after that traitor Yeltsin started supporting the secession of the Baltic states. The august coup finally forced the union into dissolution. If the august coup didn’t happen then the USSR would have most likely survived.

[@nuzayerov]

@@KillerofWestoids , agreed, Yelstin was the biggest traitor in Russian history.

[@spiderjerusalem4009]

Yeltsin is just another soeharto. Another toys of US's

[@rjjcms1]

Not long after the August 1991 coup,and with it the last hurrah of the old guard hardliners,was defeated the US switched quickly from backing Gorbachev to dumping him for Yeltsin.

[@alexandraolvera5903]

The fact that if the USSR never collapsed, Gorbachev will still be the leader and would’ve been the longest Soviet leader. He’s still alive as of 2020.

[@daplanehuntermanpilot]

Not exactly. He allowed his position to become that of a president, and was continuing to democratize the government. If he were successful, and remained in power after 1991, he would have most likely either stepped down eventually if he had been in power for too long or would lose to a different candidate in a future hypothetical election.

[@neptunez3495]

what happened to the position of leader? was it renamed to president?

[@bagtea]

@@neptunez3495 yeah he was also a president from 1990-1991

[@BrandonClaridge]

Of course, democratization efforts would probably mean term limits. As mentioned about the events in 1990-1991, Gorbachev would (probably) not have been the Soviet leader today if the USSR had not collapsed in 1991. Many pre-Gorbachev Soviet leaders served from their appointment until their death (including Stalin and Brezhnev, plus the shorter reigns of Andropov and Chernenko in the 1980s; the notable exception was Khrushchev), but the democratization efforts changed this. However, it would not be impossible if a hypothetical post-1991 USSR had a system similar to our post-Soviet Russian Federation. In post-Soviet Russia, the constitution limits a president to two consecutive terms, but it appears that (unlike the United States) there are no limits on the number of terms an individual can serve as the President of Russia, provided that the individual does not serve more than two terms in a row. This means that a president could serve two terms, leave office, and potentially get re-elected after an intervening term. This has happened in Russia: although Vladimir Putin was first elected as Russia's president around the turn of the millenium (2000), he has not continuously served in the president's role in light of these term limits (Dmitry Medvedev was Russia's president from 2008-2012), although Putin did serve as Russia's prime minister (a separate role from the president) during Medvedev's term as president. I believe this system was changed with a constitutional amendment this year (to limit presidents to two terms, like the USA), but there will still be some way for Putin to remain in power given how Russia's political establishent favors him. Of course, the post-Soviet political situation is quite different from the Soviet one. Presumably, if the USSR never collapsed in 1991, it would still adhere to some form of Communist ideology. Likely it would have been less authoritarian than what China has today provided that Gorbachev's reforms held up without collapsing the Union (that is, no hardline takeover in 1991); China focused more on economic reforms while maintaining an authoritarian system, whereas the USSR went in the direction of political reform but maintained elements of the command economy. If the hardline Communists had successfully overthrown the Soviet government in August 1991, things would have played out quite differently; as this coup occurred after the collapse of Communism in the former Eastern European satellite states, reconciliation with China would have been key to the USSR's survival in the hardline takeover scenario.

[@KrazyKatPosse]

Not all Soviet leaders died during their tenure. Nikita Khrushchev is the most notable example. My guess is that had the USSR remained, Gorbachev would’ve eventually stepped down.

[@fridayyy.2102]

*1:04**:* *News Reporter: So a 54 year old has taken over, who will be around for a generation.* *Six Years Later* *Gorbachev/Soviet Union: Adios.*

[@chukwudiilozue9171]

Said he'd be around for 20 years, which is true, just the coutnry wasn't.

[@hockeypnc3]

The country didn’t go anywhere, the satellite states wanted out.

[@Jdm491]

Mikhail Gorbachev: Becomes Leader of Soviet Union Gorbachev 6 years later: *Dissolves country*

[@andrezanzibar1591]

In Russia we have a proverb about incompetent managers or might be traitors "If you want to ruin the business, you must take charge of it". It is said when the manager fails to perform his duties.

[@youraveragemorononyoutube4435]

Not the tsar

[@TheTokkin]

Gorby didn't dissolve the country, Yeltsin and the presidents of Belarus and Ukraine came together to abolish the union.

[@Jdm491]

@Prestallar I do know what happened I just did this comment as a joke

[@The_Dragon-Human_hybrid]

Boris Yeltson dissolved it.

[@Sheehan1]

Can’t imagine this new guy will change things up very much

[@laika6661]

When you realize that Gorbachev's ideal Soviet Union would've been less authoritarian than Putin's modern day Russia

[@powerfulaura5166]

More pozzed too.

[@kayzeaza]

Thanks Boris

[@qorxmazveyselov5163]

Сегодняшняя Россия меньше отличается от далекой 37.

[@200131356]

That's because the soviet union wasn't authoritarian. Its the pro capitalist propaganda that we're fed in the USA/the west

[@Jdm491]

Gorbachev: I am gonna change the Soviet Union! Also Gorbachev: *dissolves it*

[@marciohenrique6465]

The Execution of Perestroika was the greatest Plot Twist of all time.

[@brinjoness3386]

Gorbachev didn't dissolve it.

[@eddiesigala4254]

That's Bryan Cranston in the Sears commercial at 7:38

[@Dweller415]

He couldn’t imagine how his life and the world would change.

[@marabo12]

bless u for posting this

[@technewseveryweek8332]

Love how we have no idea how the reporter feels about the Soviet Union, or whether he votes for democrats or republicans. This is how news should be

[@jpx08]

Back when the news was just that. The News! None of this infotainment, ginned up nonsense you see now.

[@chandans7613]

jpx08 now it’s called “opinion shows”.

[@Joshayne]

The good old days...

[@generalsifr2995]

Fox news show up and fuck it up for everybody. So every news network follow fox news footstep

[@infernoreviews2529]

The news was allready rotten. Back then they allso showed us what they wanted to show us, that which fits their political agenda.

[@GarfieldEnjoyer1878]

@@generalsifr2995 are you sure

[@Dweller415]

God, I miss true journalism.

[@kingoftheseamusic]

This wasn’t true journalism just more respectably delivered

[@finchborat]

We all do.

[@sillygoose635]

when you get passed the sensationalism, it never left. stunning I know.

[@choxxxieful]

Once upon a time, there used be to real reporting of real news on the networks...

[@powerfulaura5166]

Nah, was always compromised & propagandistic.

[@sillygoose635]

still is!

[@nyyommm9640]

@@powerfulaura5166 incorrect.

[@Entername-md1ev]

Gorbachev must be very disappointed in the Russia of today…this was NOT the Russia he envisioned happening when he stepped down in 1991

[@oddboxhistory447]

What the Russians have done is unforgivable, however, they wouldn't have done it if America just kept their corrupt hands out of Ukraine.

[@tyemich8820]

But not as much as Russia is disappointed with Gorbachev 🙂

[@pinedelgado4743]

"Mikh-ei-EEEL Gorrrr-ba-choaff." I guess "Toupee Ted" pronounces it differently these days!

[@dewok2706]

Strange comment. Seek medical assistance.

[@Doobydoobydoo1974]

18:11 Denis Healey was a true statesman, regardless of party. Shame he never became Prime Minister.

[@juliolp95]

Fast food wars were even serious back then

[@brianrunyon266]

As someone who grew up in the 90's, am interested to watch news footage, and other things to see what older shows and programs were like.

[@Militaria_Collector]

The commercials are just as good as the program wise God I miss the 80s

[@marciohenrique6465]

0:26, 0:53 and 1:18, those are the time stamps where the alternative version of the Soviet Flag appears. (Ngl, this version is dope)

[@paulschab8152]

Back when news was 👍

[@ZakwanYuni17]

Ted Koppel 1985: news reporter Ted Koppel 1991: *he joins us from Moscow.*

[@hockeypnc3]

Demotion

[@wildbill9919]

When l was a kid in the 80s, l remember Gorbachev being in the news.

[@hockeypnc3]

He was in the news until 2022

[@sidihziunis6920]

Good ole days

[@abinashpanda393]

Can someone read the caption from auto-generated English 0:07

[@VarangianOblast]

just read he was never leader but just a general secretary, filing and typewriting stuff.

[@jeremiahblake3949]

The leader was the general secretary. That was Stalin's title he used to take over, and the leading position until the collapse.

[@VarangianOblast]

@@jeremiahblake3949 i'm sure Stalin's typewriter worked just fine during WWII

[@jeremiahblake3949]

@@VarangianOblast Yeah it did, with his typewriter Stalin made job and death lists. i.e how he gained power (putting loyal people in prime positions) and how he kept it.

[@harshithsubramaniam5924]

After the death of Lenin, and through the period of stalin, the "General Secretary of the Communist Party" became the default leader of the party, and therefore of the soviet union. So in short, the party's general secretary was the leader de-facto.

[@user-fb9ql8bm2e]

General secretary of the communist party of the Soviet Union was equivalent to leader

[@150582singh]

Day on which Soviet life began to counting

[@AndrewTubbiolo]

When the news was real news.

[@Docthal_Chinaman]

Ted is goin after this ol Soviet strong. Need more reporters like this today

[@tritium1998]

They were quite obsessed with the arms talks.

[@scipioafricanus5871]

They really thought the combined US and USSR nuclear stockpiles (62,000+ units) could do with a trim...

[@supersasquatch]

the problem with the hammer and sickle is that they forgot about the light bulb

[@marciohenrique6465]

LED Hammer and Scikle.

[@padorupadoru8039]

the beginning of the end

[@SoryRN]

"get used to the name"

[@riley1049]

Mikhail Gorbachev

[@amerigovespucci4076]

I still say he looked like Howdy Doody........

[@AndrewTubbiolo]

Sears Financial. Now that's where I'm putting my money!

[@solitudecityguard845]

"another soviet leader who was too old and too sick when he took power, to hold on to it" (Tjernenko was 73) but Biden being 78 is the greatest and best president ever. funny how america works

[@kerimgueney]

Soviet leaders were leaders for life and life expectancy was lower back then, so their leaders' age was more critical.

[@rjjcms1]

80 is the new 70.

[@fredrikcarlstedt393]

@@rjjcms1 Best president ever ? I bet Lincoln, the two Roosevelts, Truman and Reagan would rank way higher than Beijing Joseph Biden .

[@rjjcms1]

@@fredrikcarlstedt393 I think it's the OP Solitude City Guard you need to address that to. Never mind the two Rooseveldts,the Two Ronnies could probably give Biden a run for his money as president.

[@fredrikcarlstedt393]

@@rjjcms1 Thanks for the correction !

[@awesometuber7225]

I miss him, he was great. happy i never picked between faves with V and him tho.

[@seths1997]

Healey, Gorbachev, Shevchenko are all gone. Kissinger turns 100 today

[@andrewerbold8005]

Kissinger passed away at 100. Now all four are gone.

[@aydankamilova7099]

❤❤❤

[@GabrielGarcia-km2ou]

Top three biggest mistakes in history:

[@tylerlozano9849]

Rest In Peace Michail Gorbachev

[@terrondt]

My god back then i was never crazy about the old Soviet Union but compared to Putin’s Russia 🇷🇺 of today Gorbechev was sane leader!

[@muelesariocontra]

America has a problem with advertising

[@dariusnikbin1695]

The Victor, Gorbachev (USSR) [V-800]... DCN

[@CrisisMoon7]

13:37 jeez…

[@Tyron12218]

We need Samantha Smith she's the best Diplomat and peace activist

[@Dedicated_Loomer]

RIP USSR

[@user-ue2cv4sr1d]

Shut the fuck up lol

[@KillerofWestoids]

@Юрий Койчевский Shut up you capitalist.

[@izaiahleyva8092]

@@KillerofWestoids And communism worked out so well *cough cough*

[@ndt_7207]

@@izaiahleyva8092 yep

[@dewok2706]

rip bozo

[@darnits2328]

8:44 car salesman

[@Mason_Courtney]

7:38 - Bryan Cranston

[@aluminium5738]

dude no way

[@KrazyKatPosse]

R.I.P. USSR 😭 😭 😭 💔💔💔

[@airplanegod]

It’s still around, just a name change.

[@extinct4028]

F

[@rjjcms1]

It downsized a little.

[@izaiahleyva8092]

@@bruceli9094 15

[@dewok2706]

rip bozo

[@billb9917]

Rip gorby

[@rgp560]

11 marzo

[@tdtvegas]

What would your life be like today, if you were born on this day?? I'm curious for your comments…?

[@hockeypnc3]

Gorby was the best

[@markwhitethorn6743]

Gorbachev really deserved the Nobel Prize, it is thanks to him that one of the most oppressive regime doesn't exist anymore. Of course I didn't want to destroy the USSR, he was the secretary of the Communist Party, but he wanted to shift the USSR from communism to socialism. At that time the totality of the west Europe's countries were socialist de facto and our standard of living was very high. The USSR needed to borrow important sum of money but the USA denied it because they wanted rid of the main competitor in ruling the World. When the USSR collapse that money lending denied to Gorbachev was conceded to Yeltsin. After 20 years there is another super power that is challenging the USA, China! It became very rich and technology advanced thanks to the west greedy interpreneurial class who has moved the goods production there to maximize the profits providing to Chinese the know how they didn't have.

[@user-nf7dr1un9j]

소련-북한 미국-남한

[@kentoscocos5238]

The way that soviet diplomat talk in English, struggling as soviet Union maintain it's country But if that wasn't for Mr. Gorbachev policies,I doubt Russia could be powerful as nowadays

[@emaadkhan3031]

By as powerful as it is today, you mean less powerful than it was as the USSR

[@Flirri]

Ugh a Ukranian defector, not a Soviet diplomat current at the time of the program, very important to note. (All of which was -- except for the Ukranian part -- at least stated in the program.)

[@-haclong2366]

@@Flirri The Ukraine wasn't a country back then, it would be like introducing a Japanese person today as a Ryukyuan person.

[@terminator3199]

Whatever Stalin does ...if instead Stalin was a traitor Gorbatchov whole world will be today speak German language and be under Germans rules !

[@aussiegod4269]

Eastern Russia maybe but Germany had no intention of occupying anything beyond Europe.

[@terminator3199]

@@aussiegod4269 You're wrong . Hitler want occupy America , South America , Australia will be next target . In Afrika they started already ...

[@aussiegod4269]

@@terminator3199 No he didn’t. Hitler even himself stated that Africa wasn’t on his mind. Sure he sent Rommel and a few Afrika corps units to go help out his friend Mussolini but beyond that he simply didn’t give a damn. He also explicitly stated that there was no point in invading America due to the demographic mix. Britain and France would have been occupied temporarily but not for long. Also Germany did not want Australia. Too far away for starters and the Japanese we’re eyeing up territory in the religion to establish a sphere of influence. Though even the Japanese explicitly stated that there was little point in invading and occupying Australia since they didn’t really have the manpower to pull it off. Again the only thing really on Hitlers mind was Russia and Labensrum. Had the allies turned a blind eye and let Hitler take Poland and Russia their probably wouldn’t have been a another world war because Hitler didn’t give a damn about conquering the world. Just establishing a sphere of influence over Europe.

[@terminator3199]

@@aussiegod4269 You need a doctor and learn history also !

[@aussiegod4269]

@@terminator3199 right sure buddy. I think any intelligent doctor would agree with me. Also practice what you preach.

[@marczimmerman8524]

Ted Koppel's daughter almost became a Moonie. She loved Divine Principle but couldn't quite comprehend the Second Coming of Christ.

[@user-nf7dr1un9j]

소련 국민 -> 소련 인민

[@hatinmyselfiscool2879]

This is probably the most tragic event in the late 20th century

[@samuelbcn]

What exactly?

[@TosoToco]

Pls explain

[@hatinmyselfiscool2879]

The guy made the soviet union fall apart instead of making it prosper. Now look what the former soviet states are. He let the soviet union fall apart and let outside powers rip it apart, he probably even got money from outside influencers. He is a disgusting human being and broke a union apart without anybodies approval inside the union.

[@sheyniestcreature_h]

@@hatinmyselfiscool2879 that's why the West and Capitalists praised him if only his predecessor lived longer

[@IrishCarney]

@@hatinmyselfiscool2879 He was trying to strengthen and save a system he believed in. Corruption, gerontocratic stagnation, the arms race, alcoholism, the collapse of oil prices, Afghanistan, John Paul II, the widening economic gap with the West, the growing influence of Western culture, etc all made the status quo unsustainable. Doing nothing would have eventually resulted in mass violence -- either a bloody crackdown on rising peaceful dissent, or a bloody revolt, or both.

[@mizzyroro]

Zed Toppel. 😂

[@ksc7957]

Journalism is dead in today world

[@SnarkyRC]

It's not dead, it just evolved into something terrible.

[@thevelentrinquist38]

No more 😈💯

[@user-nf7dr1un9j]

미국인민->미국 국민 미합중국 국민