Mikhail Gorbachev, an emerging leader of the Soviet Union, implemented many reforms during his reign as general secretary of the Communist Party from 1985 to 1990 and president from 1990 to 1991. Born on March 2, 1931, Gorbachev was raised by a Russian peasant family. In 1946, at the age of fifteen, he joined the Komsomol (Young Communist League). After proving himself as a promising member, he enrolled at Moscow State University and became a member of the Communist Party. Mikhail Gorbachev held many positions in the Komsomol and in 1980 became a full member of the Politburo, a Russian political party whose methodology was to provide continued stability and leadership during the Russian Revolution. Gorbachev attributed most of his political success to Mikhail Suslov, the leading Soviet communist ideologue, and during Yury Andropov's tenure as general secretary, Gorbachev became one of the most visible members of the Politburo. However, Gorbachev was not Yuri Andropov's successor. After Andropov's reign, Konstantin Cherneko became general secretary. When Cherneko died a year later, Mikhail Gorbachev was next in line. In March 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev, the youngest member of the Politburo, was elected general secretary of the Communist Party. Once elected, Gorbachev set out to establish his power in the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union, once a powerhouse during the early years of rapid economic growth, was disappearing due to a lack of available cheap materials, stagnant population growth, and a lack of trade and mobilization due to earlier reforms ratified by Stalin . After years of inert growth during the reign of Leonid Brezhnev, the Soviet Union was in vital need of a new economy, a... middle of paper......lopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 25 February 2014. "Mikhail Gorbachev." Mikhail Gorbachev. Np, nd Web. 25 February 2014.Nesnera, André De. "Gorbachev's foreign policy changed the map of Europe." The Epoch Times March 8, 2011: 2. Print."Prominent Russians: Mikhail Gorbachev." Mikhail Gorbachev – Russiapedia Prominent Russian leaders. Np, nd Web. 20 February 2014. “Russia: The Perestroika Programme.” Russia – The Perestroika program. Np, nd Web. March 11, 2014.Vause, Gary W. “Perestroika and Market Socialism: The Effects of the Slow Thaw of Communism on East-West Economic Relations.” Northwest Journal of International Law and Business. Northwestern University, 1988. Web. February 25, 2014."Why did Mikhail Gorbachev begin to reform the Soviet Union?" Why did Mikhail Gorbachev begin to reform the Soviet Union? Np, nd Web. 2