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…