Mikhail Gorbachev

Mikhail Gorbachev was a Soviet politician who served as the last General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1985 to 1991, and as the first (and only) President of the Soviet Union from 1990 to 1991. He is best known for his policies of glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring), which ultimately led to the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Gorbachev also authored several books, including memoirs and works on political reform.