How did Mikhail Gorbachev differ from previous Soviet leaders?

A He did not actually believe in communism.

B He recognized that the Soviet Union needed to adapt.

C He sought to cooperate with the United States.

D He acknowledged that communism was not viable.

The correct answer is B. Mikhail Gorbachev differed from previous Soviet leaders as he recognized that the Soviet Union needed to adapt.

Explanation:

When Mikhail Gorbachev came to power, he found a country with serious problems. After the death of Stalin three decades earlier, the denunciation of his repressive methods never led people to question the communist monopoly of power. On the other hand, the arms race with the West had contributed to economic stagnation.

To change things, Gorbachev announced a program of reforms that would become popular through the slogans of perestroika (restructuring) and glasnost (transparency). Its objective was not to establish a democracy, but to proceed to a revitalization of socialism. But what it achieved was just the opposite: the fall of the communist system and the dissolution of the Soviet Union.