Soviet Policy toward Eastern Europe under Gorbachev

The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in the United States was closely watching the events unfolding in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union in the 1980s, and this secret service document reveals the extent of that interest. As exhibited in this source, under the leadership of Mikhail Gorbachev, the Soviet Union embarked on a program of reform both within the Soviet bloc and in its relationships with the West, including the United States. While the document shows that American leadership was encouraged by the direction in which Gorbachev was moving, it also points to concern with the uncertainty of the reforms and the potential problems that could have arisen.