Question

Match the following:

i. Mikhail Gorbachev	a. Successor of USSR
ii. Shock Therapy	b. Military pact
iii. Russia	c. Introduced reforms
iv. Boris Yeltsin	d. Economic model
v. Warsaw	e. President of Russia

Answer 1

i. Mikhail Gorbachev	c. Introduced reforms
ii. Shock Therapy	d. Economic model
iii. Russia	a. Successor of USSR
iv. Boris Yeltsin	e. President of Russia
v. Warsaw	b. Military pact

Explanations

i. Mikhail Gorbachev --------> c. Introduced reforms

Mikhail Gorbachev became the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in 1985. He introduced a series of political and economic reforms in an attempt to transform the Soviet system. The purpose of these reforms was to keep in pace with the technological and infrastructural development of the West.

ii. Shock Therapy ---------> d. Economic model

It was a model of transformation from an authoritarian socialist system to a liberal democratic capitalist system in the former communist regimes, that is, Russia, East European countries and Central Asia. This model was influenced bhe international financial institutions like the World Bank and the IMF.

iii. Russia ---------> a. Successor of USSR

After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, Russia became the successor state on the grounds that it had majority of the Soviet population and also conquered a major portion of the territory. Moreover, Russia agreed to accept the UN’s permanent seat in the Security Council and also accepted all international agreements of the former Soviet Union.

iv. Boris Yeltsin ----------> e. President of Russia

After the fall of the Soviet Empire, Boris Yeltsin became the first elected President of Russia. He, however, was criticised for the painful transition of Russia from the communist system to a capitalist democratic mode and the problems that the country had to encounter thereafter.

v. Warsaw ----------> b. Military pact

It was a military alliance led by the Soviet bloc during the Cold War era. It represented the communist ideology and had within its fold the East European countries. The pact was dissolved after the disintegration of the Soviet Union.