Boris Yeltsin Essay, Research Paper

Boris Yeltsin

Yeltsin’s journey to the top has been hard-fought and worthwhile. It started in 1961, when he joined the CPSU. In 1985-86, he was secretary of CPSU. Also, in 1985-87, he became first Deputy Chairman State Construction Committee. In

1989, he became minister in cabinet of the USSR. In1990, he was chairman

of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR, President of the Russian Federation,

and he was elected Executive President of Russia. In 1991, Yeltsin was

inaugurated. Yeltsin’s current office is President, Moscow, Russian Federation.

Boris Yeltsin was the foremost leader in the breakdown of

communist rule. His ideology focused on a series of changes to result in

the rapid dwindling of communism. He promised effective and quick

reforms, thus greatly increasing his popularity. The people in this

region were ready and eager for change, and they were in full accordance

with Yeltsin’s ideas of democracy. He was persistent to continue the

reforms he had promised and democratic elections of Parliament showed his

ability and willingness to make changes for the public benefit. Yeltsin

has been and still is devoted to the advocacy of democracy, the

establishment of a capitalist economy, and the expansion of the Russian

economy. Yeltsin has full support from the Russian Army in his reforms,

but the traditional politicians and elites of old offer little or no

support, especially after the present weakness of the Russian Parliament.

However, he has total support from the United States and other

democracies.

Yeltsin’s plan is to continue stabilizing and expanding

domestic economy through trade and foreign investment. He also believes

in an increase of favorable diplomatic relations with neighboring

regions. However, despite Yeltsin’s political success, recently he has

encountered many problems. The current economic situation is one of

fatigue, disillusionment, and dissatisfaction by Russia’s citizens.

Russia?s legal revolution, virtually unnoticed in the West, is just one manifestation of the tectonic shift that took place during the eight years of the Yeltsin presidency. Boris Yeltsin shaped, inspired, led, and sustained at least three revolutions at once: a political revolution, which established some key principles and institutions of democracy (freedom of speech and of the press, freedom of political opposition, free legislative and parliamentary elections, and the separation of powers); an economic revolution, which introduced private property and a market economy; and an anti-imperial revolution, which, for the first time in history, separated the state of Russia from its empire.

He will be remembered as the man who ended Soviet communism, dissolved the Russian empire, led the country while it coped with the enormous, painful shocks of a new economic, political, and social reality, and prevented a Communist restoration-without abrogating human rights and political liberties.

Britannica “Yeltsin, Boris”,

http://www.britannica.com/bcom/eb/article/1/0,5716,80011+1+77917,00.html?query=yeltsin, 10/04/2000

“Yeltsin, Boris Nickolaevich”

http://www.nns.ru/e-elects/e-persons/eltzin.html, 10/03/2000

CNN “Russian President”

http://www.cnn.com/resources/newsmakers/world/asia/yeltsin.html, 10/03/2000

“Yeltsin, Boris”

http://www.cs.indiana.edu/hyplan/dmiguse/Russian/bybio.html, 10/04/2000