Yeltsin Flashcards
What is it called when a historian focuses on structures that restrict the ability of the individual leader to do as they wish?
Structuralist historians
The role of Yeltsin in the collapse of the USSR
Boris Yeltsin presented an image of a politician in touch with the wishes of the people. He possessed
the popular support that Gorbachev never convincingly held. Using his reputation as a reformer,
alongside this base of popular support, Yeltsin was in a strong position to challenge Gorbachevs
leadership.
What did Yeltsin use his time out of the spotlight for
Yeltsin used his time out of the spotlight to establish firmer links with other reformers and critics of
Gorbachev.
Yeltsin was expert at using opportunities to appeal to the public for sympathy and support. Example
His attack on Gorbachev and his policies at the Central Committee Plenum of 1987 was conducted in
an arena that had television coverage. He met with the leaders of the Russian Orthodox Church,
visited striking miners and organised demonstrations to show support for his actions as Chairman
of the Russian Congress. In March 1991, 200,000 people gathered in Moscow to support Yeltsin.
Gorbachev’s decision to hold elections for the Congress of People’s Deputies in 1989 gave Yeltsin
an opportunity to launch his comeback. How?
He used his position as mayor of Moscow to organise
demonstrations in his support and secured 89 percent of the vote in the city. This gave him a claim
to legitimacy that Gorbachev never had. His election to the People’s Congress gave him a platform
to attack Gorbachev and the Soviet government,
Why did Yeltsin need an alternative power base?
would not bring change until the hold of the Communist Party over the central Soviet government was broken.
When Yeltsin realised he needed an alternative power base, what did he do?
Used his election to the Congress of People’s Deputies for the RSFSR to attack the central Soviet government. Yeltsin’s Democratic Russia movement secured most of the votes in the cities. It was enough to enable Yeltsin to be elected
chairman of the Congress in May 1990. From this moment onwards, Gorbachev faced a direct
challenge to his authority from the leader of the Soviet Union’s key republic: Russia.
From this position (chairman), Yeltsin passed a series of measures that undermined Gorbachev.
In July 1990, Yeltsin resigned from the Communist Party. The Congress declared that its sovereignty took
precedence over that of the Soviet Union. In effect this meant that the Russian Congress considered
itself above the authority of the Soviet govt. Gorbachev declared the move illegal but it set the scene for a continual struggle between the governments of the Soviet Union and Russia.
What else did Yeltsin do that undermined Gorb?
Yeltsin encouraged the nationalist movements of the non-Russian republics in a move that was
calculated to further reduce the influence of the central government. Take as much nationalism as you can stomach
At the multi-party elections in Moscow, how many seats did Yeltsin win
89%
What happened in the Spring of 1991 that was surprising
They joined forces to negotiate and support the Novo-Ogarevo Agreement, which
formed the basis of Gorbachev’s Union Treaty of 1991.
Yeltsin and the August Coup of 1991
Led by conservatives. Gorb in Crimea. a State Emergency Committee was formed to take over the running of the country. The coup leaders included Gorbachevs vice-president, head of KGB and army officers. A series of repressive measures was hastily announced, including a ban on strikes and demonstrations. Tanks were ordered onto the streets of Moscow
to uphold law and order.
How did Yeltsin use the coup to promote himself
Veltsin’s stand against the plotters greatly enhanced his reputation as a defender of freedom and
reform. His demand that Gorbachev be released from house arrest and returned to his position
as President of the USSR had the advantage of making his stance seem less like he was using the
coup as an opportunity for self-seeking publicity.
Emboldened by his enhanced position after the failure of the August Coup, what did Yeltsin do?
introduced a series of measures that sped up the collapse. launched
a programme of market reform in the economy. By the summer of 1991, the monopoly of the Communist Party had been legally ended, and Yeltsin and other reformers from the Communist Party were free to establish the Democratic Reform Movement as a political party. In November/
he banned the Communist Party of the Soviet Union within Russia.
What did Yeltsin do to the new Union Treaty?
Undermined it- Ukrainian President refused to sign.. In its place, Yeltsin organised the Commonwealth of Independent
States, a much looser arrangement that required no central Soviet government. When this was
implemented in December 1991, the Soviet Union was no more.
