Listen to reason - War no more!: An Appeal from Mikhail Gorbachev to the world

By Michail Gorbatschow

Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev is one of the most important political figures of the 20th century. It was his courage that overcame the greatest threat to humanity at the time: the nuclear arms race and a possible nuclear war in Europe. What does the now 85-year-old have to tell us today in the 21st century? What can the world learn from him? How can we move from his new thinking to new acting?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Benevento
• Release date: Feb 7, 2017
• ISBN: 9783710950346

Book preview

PREFACE

The great reconciler from Moscow

A grey autumn day in Moscow in 2016. We are sitting in the study of the Gorbachev Foundation, Mikhail Gorbachev, his interpreter of many years Marina Cronauer, close confidant Vladimir Polyakov and I, to conclusively discuss and only lightly debate the text of this little book. Behind Gorbachev hangs a large and impressive picture of the Japanese holy mountain, Mount Fuji. The walls are decorated with photos of Gorbachev with US President Bush, with Helmut Kohl, with Hans-Dietrich Genscher and a good deal of photos taken by and with Raisa Gorbacheva.

The first snow is falling outside. The frosty Moscow weather is well suited to the current climate between Russia and the West. But even now, Mikhail Gorbachev is still steadfastly speaking of possible reconciliation and recalls that even in the Cold War 30 years ago, mutual trust paved the way for reconciliation and demilitarisation. According to Gorbachev, President Putin had spoken of reconciliation on Russian TV the very evening before we met.

On my comment that there is often a discrepancy between Putin’s words and actions, he says: Let’s wait and see. We need patience. I expect this from both sides. All parties are making mistakes at the moment. As long as the last atom bomb has not been destroyed, I still see the danger of a nuclear war occurring. A war like that would be the last one in the history of mankind. After that, there would be no one left to carry on fighting.

I am convinced that this voice of reconciliation and common sense is just as important today as it was in the last century when the world teetered on the brink of the nuclear abyss. And that is why this little book with the voice of the great politician is being released. As I flew to Moscow, I read outraged commentaries in the Western newspapers about the Russian bombs being dropped in Syria. In the newspapers in Moscow shortly thereafter, I read similar outrage towards the Western bombs being dropped in the Middle East. Are there good bombs and bad bombs? Are our bombs good, and their bombs evil?

On this visit, I discover that Mikhail Gorbachev co-founded Novaya Gazeta, one of the few independent newspapers in Russia, and has provided it with financial support for many years. He is still a shareholder to this day. Since 2000, five journalists from the newspaper have been murdered, including Anna Politkovskaya, and several more colleagues have been seriously injured.

In these times of new negative stereotypes of the enemy, we need voices that can mediate and reconcile, such as that of the 85-year-old experienced and brave realist, Mikhail Gorbachev.

He firmly adheres to his motto: War no more! Peace is possible.

Franz Alt

November 2016

We are ONE humanity!

Where are the developments of the globalised world of the 21st century leading us? Why is today’s world unsettled, unjust, militarised?

These questions are being posed by people driven by increasing worry. I too am worried. You would think that the end of global confrontation and the unprecedented possibilities opened up by new technological developments would have given the world a new impetus and improved the life of every individual. But you would be mistaken.

There is no simple explanation for this. Politics has shown that it is not up to the task. I have said this many times. Those who declared the victory of the West in the Cold War and refused to develop a new and equitable security system bear a