Perestroika and Glasnost: Where Will They Lead?

The implementation of perestroika and glasnost by Mikhail Gorbachev in 1985 initiated a series of events which has been affecting governments and people throughout much of the world. People have been watching the Soviet Union with renewed interest, and the scope and speed of actions taken by Mr. Gorbachev have generated questions such as where will perestroika and glasnost lead What impact will there be and on whom What will be the results of these initiatives Should the United States military strategy be changed This study reviews current U.S. military strategy, briefly describes the development and intended purposes of the Soviet programs, identifies achievements and impacts which have resulted, attempts to predict and analyze possible outcomes, determines effects on U.S, military strategy, and postulates required changes to U.S. military strategy.