User: I would like to know more about Mikhail Gorbachev, the last USSR president.  Can you tell me about him?
Assistant: Sure, Mikhail Gorbachev was the last president of the USSR and leader of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.  As a young man Gorbachev was awarded a gold medal for his scientific research at Moscow State University.  During his political career in the Communist Party, he rose through the ranks along with other powerful Communist Party colleagues such as Nikita Khrushchev and Leonid Brezhnev. Gorbachev was eventually appointed in 1985 as leader of the Communist Party, and was elected three years later as President of the Soviet Union. During his tenure as president, he implemented reforms in order to revitalize the country and increase productivity, gain greater freedom for citizens, and improve their quality of life.  While generally successful in these endeavors, Gorbachev’s policies ultimately led to the collapse of the USSR, as he lost control of many irreconcilable political factions in the country -- especially in the months following the failed coup of 1991.  While popular throughout most of the USSR and internationally, towards the end of his presidency Gorbachev’s influence was rapidly diminishing.  In the mid 1990s Gorbachev settled in southern Italy and died in December of last year.

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