ABSTRACT
During the first period of his tenure, Mikhail Gorbachev realized that his reforms would encounter strong, and occasionally effective, opposition. He also realized that the struggle against his opponents would be a delicate and complicated affair, requiring not merely courage and resolution but also ingenuity, flexibility, a conciliatory approach combined with the readiness to take swift, unexpected action, and excellent timing. Most of all, the struggle has required the use of numerous instruments, as well as the good sense to choose the right instrument at the right time. The general strategy of Gorbachev's struggle involves the use of official decrees, the legislature, party plenum and party conference decisions, and the frequently employed instrument of personal appointments and ousters to pressure the bureaucracy and the conservative opponents from the top; Gorbachev's most loyal allies, exert pressure from the bottom.
