New political thinking

This article is part of a series about Mikhail Gorbachev
Former General Secretary of the CPSU Former President of the Soviet Union Early life Secretariate (1985–1991) Soviet leader Perestroika – Uskorenie – Glasnost Anti-alcohol campaign Chernobyl disaster Demokratizatsiya Law on Cooperatives Spitak earthquake Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan 1989 elections Presidency (1990–1991) Head of state Assassination attempt Pavlov reform New Union Treaty August Coup Dissolution of the Soviet Union Foreign policy New thinking Murmansk Initiative Sinatra Doctrine International trips Summits Geneva Reykjavík Washington Moscow Governors Island Malta Helsinki Letter from Khomeini Post-leadership 1996 presidential campaign The Gorbachev Foundation Green Cross International Pizza Hut commercial Social Democratic Party of Russia Death and funeral Media gallery
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New political thinking (or simply new thinking)^[a] was the doctrine put forth by Mikhail Gorbachev as part of his reforms of the Soviet Union. Its major elements were de-ideologization of international politics, abandoning the concept of class struggle, priority of universal human interests over the interests of any class, increasing interdependence of the world, and mutual security based on political rather than military instruments. The doctrine constituted a significant shift from the previous principles of the Soviet foreign politics.^[2][3][4]

In 1987 Gorbachev published the book Perestroika and New Political Thinking^[5] and in December 1988 he presented the doctrine of new thinking in his speech to the United Nations.^[2][6]

The "new thinking" was of vital necessity for the Soviet Union to shut down the costly Cold War competition in order to continue the internal economic reforms of perestroika.^[3]

Notable steps in this direction included the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan, end of support of communist movements around the world and loosened the Soviet grip over Eastern Europe by replacing the Brezhnev Doctrine with the Sinatra Doctrine.^[3]

In 1990 Gorbachev was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace "for his leading role in the peace process".

The overall effect of these developments was the end of the Cold War and the breakdown of the Warsaw Pact and ultimately of the Soviet Union itself.^[3]