Volume XXIV – Number 2
Matthew Simeone
Abstract: This article analyzes changes that has occurred in both the foreign and domestic policies of the Soviet Union since the ascension of General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev in 1985, it uses the Soviet-Vietnamese relationship as its focus. Before Gorbachev, between 1945 and 1975, the Soviet-Vietnamese relationship went through a roller coaster of phases, After 1975, the Soviets agreed to become the primary economic and military supporter of the newly united Socialist Republic of Vietnam, which brought advantages to the Soviet Union, such as the USSR adding another developing country to the Communist party camp; however, it also brought an array of problems that Gorbachev was faced with as well. One problem in particular was the Soviet Union facing adverse opinions from the international community about its decision. Once Gorbachev ascended to power, he decided his first order of business was to reform the economy of both the Soviet Union and Vietnam, which changed the dynamics of Soviet-Vietnamese relations. Gorbachev decided that in order to reform both economies three actions had to be taken. The first was mending the Soviet Union’s relationship with China, which turned Soviet-Vietnamese relations into a zero-sum game. The second action was to change both the attitude and aid toward Vietnam, where the USSR would have a firmer grip on how much aid would be distributed to Vietnam. The last action was to increase pressure for reform in regard to the issue in Kampuchea, Cambodia, where the Soviet Union urged Vietnam to withdraw occupying forces from Kampuchea before 1990.
Keywords: Soviet-Vietnamese, Mikhail Gorbachev, Communist, Chinese Camps, Zero-sum game, Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Kampuchea, Cambodia.
Previous Article / Next Article
