 Kunyange zvazvo akanga akazvipira kuchengetedza nyika yeSoviet uye pfungwa dzayo dzezvematongerwe enyika, Gorbachev aidavira kuti kuchinja kukuru kwaidiwa, zvikurukuru pashure penjodzi yeChernobyl ya1986. Akabva muHondo yeSoviet neAfghanistan ndokutanga misangano nemutungamiri weUnited States Ronald Reagan kuti vaganhurire zvombo zvenyukireya nokupedza Hondo Yemashoko. Munyika, mutemo wake weglasnost kuzaruka wakabvumira rusununguko rwakawedzerwa rwokutaura uye rwekudhinda, nepo perestroika yake kudzokorora yakatsvaka kuparadzanisa kutonga kwezvemari kuita zvisarudzo kuti kuwedzere kubudirira. Matanho ake okuita kuti pave norusununguko uye kuumbwa kweCongress yeVamiririri veVanhu yakasarudzwa kwakaderedza hurumende yebato rimwe chete. Gorbachev akaramba kupindira muchiuto apo nyika dzakasiyana-siyana dzeEastern Bloc dzakasiya utongi hweMarxist-Leninist muna 1989-1990. Mukati, kunzwa kworudzi kunowedzera kwakatyisidzira kuparadza Soviet Union, kuchitungamirira vaMarxist-Leninist vanoomerera kuti vatange coup yaAugust isina kubudiriramukurwisana naGorbachev muna 1991. Pashure peizvi, Soviet Union yakaparara pasinei nezvishuvo zvaGorbachev uye iye akasiya basa. Pashure pokusiya basa, akavamba Gorbachev Foundation yake, akava mutsoropodzi mukuru weVatungamiri veRussia Boris Yeltsin naVladimir Putin, uye akaita mushandirapamwe weRussia social-democratic movement. 