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Boris Yeltsin was a charismatic Russian who emerged to challenge Gorbachev’s leadership. Yeltsin had been a popular mayor of Moscow and was a powerful member of the parliament. In June 1991 the voters elected Yeltsin as president of a new Russian Republic.

Boris Yeltsin was a charismatic Russian who emerged to challenge Gorbachev’s leadership. Yeltsin had been a popular mayor of Moscow and was a powerful member of the parliament. In June 1991 the voters elected Yeltsin as president of a new Russian Republic.

Communists were angry and determined to stop Yeltsin’s challenge. In August 1991, they ordered the soldiers to kill Yeltsin. Providence must have intervened, because the troops refused the order. Rarely, if ever, do troops refuse orders like this. In a communist country such refusal was unheard of.  Many explain this as occuring because by 1991 almost everyone could see the writing on the wall: the West was winning and Russia had an opportunity to embrace [[capitalism]].

Communists were angry and determined to stop Yeltsin’s challenge. In August 1991, they ordered the soldiers to kill Yeltsin. Providence must have intervened, because the troops refused the order. Rarely, if ever, do troops refuse orders like this. In a communist country such refusal was unheard of.  Many explain this as occuring because by 1991 almost everyone could see the writing on the wall: the West was winning and Russia had an opportunity to embrace [[capitalism]].  By 1991 ordinary Russians were very cynical about their system of government and envied the material success of their Western neighbors.

Gorbachev promptly resigned as head of the Communist Party, and then Latvia, Estonia and other Soviet republics declared their independence as Lithuania had. On Christmas Day, 1991, Gorbachev resigned as president of the Soviet Union.<ref>http://www.conservapedia.com/World_History_Lecture_Thirteen</ref>

Gorbachev promptly resigned as head of the Communist Party, and then Latvia, Estonia and other Soviet republics declared their independence as Lithuania had. On Christmas Day, 1991, Gorbachev resigned as president of the Soviet Union.<ref>http://www.conservapedia.com/World_History_Lecture_Thirteen</ref>