Mikhail Gorbachev was the eighth and final leader of the Soviet Union. Coming to power in 1985, he recognized that the Soviet system was stagnant and in need of deep reform. He introduced the policies of 'Glasnost' (openness) and 'Perestroika' (restructuring), which allowed for greater freedom of speech and economic decentralization. Gorbachev also worked to end the Cold War, forming a productive relationship with U.S. President Ronald Reagan and signing treaties to reduce nuclear arsenals. Unlike his predecessors, he refused to intervene militarily when Eastern European nations began to overthrow their communist governments in 1989. While he intended to save the Soviet Union by modernizing it, his reforms ultimately led to its dissolution in 1991. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1990 for his role in ending the Cold War peacefully.