MIKHAIL GORBACHEV A CHANGE By Shannon Rhodes Mikhail Gorbachev, one of the giants of the late 20th century, inherited a Soviet economy with a sagging rate of industrial and agricultural output. He discovered, however, that once the Soviet Union fell behind, there was no easy way to catch up--especially in the age of high technology. His first task was to restore confidence. This meant sustaining the economic growth that Andropov had begun, but which lagged …showed first 75 words of 2537 total…

…showed last 75 words of 2537 total…of his restructuring program has meant that there are many "who have had their toes stepped on'' and who as a consequence are very much opposed to these reforms. Acknowledging that there may be more opponents than supporters, Gorbachev reiterated over and over again that "the next two to three years will be the most difficult.'' Given the magnitude of his tasks, the odds for success weren’t in his favor for the start.