Skip to content
    History A-Level

    glasnost

    What glasnost means in History A-Level, as defined for AQA, Pearson Edexcel.

    Definitions of glasnost

    Exam boards and our study guides word this term in slightly different ways. Learn the version your board uses.

    Check what you remember

    Read the wording for your board, then hide it and explain glasnost in your own words. Rough notes are fine. This is a self-check, with no mark or grade.

    Reference: Pearson Edexcel

    Openness and greater freedom of information, which meant dissidents faced less repression.
    Pearson Edexcel · Paper 3, Option 38.1: The making of modern Russia, 1855–1991 - 5 Gorbachev and the downfall of Soviet communism, 1985–91 (study guide)
    A radical policy introduced to expose past failures and provide transparency.
    AQA · 2T The Crisis of Communism: The USSR and the Soviet Empire, 1953–2000 (A-level only) – The Gorbachev Revolution, 1985–2000 (study guide)

    Topics that use glasnost

    Related terms

    Using glasnost in the exam

    Check the command word and mark scheme for your exact question. After comparing your explanation with the reference, use the term in an answer on the linked topic. This practice does not predict an exam mark.

    Practise History questions

    Create a free account to answer exam-style questions on this topic and get feedback on your answers.

    Start free

    A week of Premium from your first lesson · Then the free plan continues · No card, no charge

    All History A-Level terms