He drastically reformed the Soviet Union

In comparison to his predecessors, Gorbachev adopted a fundamentally different style of governance, engaging the populace and publicly confiding in Raisa, who rose to the status of unofficial "first lady." Gorbachev was aware that before implementing any serious changes, he would require the Politburo's backing. He reorganized the Soviet leadership in less than a year, moving his loyalists up the ranks quicker than Stalin, Khrushchev, or Brezhnev.

The first (and only) Soviet presidential election was held in March by the Congress of People's Deputies, and Gorbachev was the only contender. 313 votes were invalid or absent, and he received 1,329 in favor to 495 against. As a result, he was elected the Soviet Union's first executive president. De facto, the Politburo was replaced by a new 18-member Presidential Council. He proposed abolishing Article 6 of the Soviet constitution, which recognized the Communist Party as the "ruling party" of the Soviet Union, at the same Congress gathering. The one-party state's de jure status was challenged when the change was approved by Congress.

Greater freedom of the press and artistic expression were made possible by Gorbachev's famous policies of glasnost ('openness') and perestroika ('restructuring'), as well as attempts at democratization through the introduction of the secret vote and multi-party elections. However, Communist hardliners and bureaucrats, who were unwilling to relinquish control over the Union's economy, found even these minor reforms to be extremely unpopular. Even in August 1991, he had to deal with a quick coup.