Question

Why did Gorbachev become liberal towards the Eastern European countries?

Answer 1

Gorbachev became liberal towards the Eastern European countries because he wanted to end the costly and unsustainable control over Eastern Europe and reduce Cold War tensions with the West. He believed that each country should have the freedom to choose its political path, a principle known as the “Sinatra Doctrine.” This shift in policy marked a break from the earlier Soviet stance of suppressing reforms (e.g., in Hungary in 1956 and Czechoslovakia in 1968).