Gorbachev Becomes President: The Soviet Union Transforms
The Soviet Congress elected Mikhail Gorbachev as the first president of the USSR, consolidating executive power within a crumbling system. This move accelerated the centralization of authority just as the republics began demanding independence, ultimately hastening the Union's dissolution rather than saving it.
March 14, 1990
36 years ago
Key Figures & Places
What Else Happened on March 14
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