Conclusion

Soviet Marxism-Leninism was created by Lenin’s revision of Marx’s analysis to fit the opportunities presented in Russia in the early nineteen hundreds. Nikita Khrushchev promised that the Soviet Union would soon surpass the West in economic productivity. When Mikhaii Gorbachev came to power in March 1985 he was alarmed by the growing inferiority of the Soviet system in economic and technological development. Contemporary Soviet reformers contend that the powerlessness of the masses gave rise to apathy, cynicism, and passivity in mass consciousness. It is important to remember that the main driving force behind Gorbachev’s new political thinking is the desire to create a stronger and more secure Soviet Union. The erosion of certainty about the decline of capitalism and the superiority of Soviet socialism has helped make it possible for Soviet citizens to engage in open criticism of misleading assertions and ill-chosen actions by Soviet leaders.