Russian policy dilemma towards socilistic countries in 1988-1989

At the turn of 1988 and 1989 soviet leadership had to define its position towards situation in socialistic countries. Four institutions worked on memorandum of: Institute of the World Socialist System of the Soviet Academy of Sciences, Department of International CPSU Central Committee, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the KGB (the last undisclosed). It says, that in connection with difficult economic situation of USSR, Michail Gorbachev's advisors agreed to use help from West, even in return fot introduction of the market economy and the association with the Single Market: they approved reform of political system of soviet countries, because they came to a conclusion, that the previous system will not be able to fulfill social and economic challenges; they accepted existence of an opposition and even its share in government; they critically assessed the situation in the German Democratic Republic, Romania, Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia, where the ruling parties have not undertaken reform. They expected social violent protests there and that ruling parties will loose control of the situation. Gorbachev's advisers feared not that the changes could threaten the existence of the Warsaw Pact. They recommended its reform in the spirit of equality of member states