Changes

But perhaps Providence intervened this time.  Boris Yeltsin, a charismatic Russian, 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.

But perhaps Providence intervened this time.  Boris Yeltsin, a charismatic Russian, 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.  In a communist country, such refusal was unheard of.  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 of 1991, Gorbachev resigned as president of the Soviet Union.

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 do troops refuse orders.  In a communist country, such refusal was unheard of.  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 of 1991, Gorbachev resigned as president of the Soviet Union.

By then, Russia and the other newly independent republics had formed a federation to replace the Soviet Union, known as the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).  All joined except for the Baltic republics and Georgia, a large former Soviet state not to be confused with the American state of Georgia.

By then, Russia and the other newly independent republics had formed a federation to replace the Soviet Union, known as the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).  All joined except for the Baltic republics and Georgia, a large former Soviet state not to be confused with the American state of Georgia.

Other Eastern European countries then wanted the same freedom from communism.  In Czechoslovakia, demonstrations forced the Communist Party leader Milos Jakes to resign in November 1989, and he was replaced by Vaclav Havel.  In 1993, the country split along ethnic lines to form Slovakia and the Czech Republic, caused in part by economic difficulties in the conversion from communism to free enterprise.

Other Eastern European countries then wanted the same freedom from communism.  In Czechoslovakia, demonstrations forced the Communist Party leader Milos Jakes to resign in November 1989, and he was replaced by Vaclav Havel.  In 1993, the country split along ethnic lines to form Slovakia and the Czech Republic, caused in part by economic difficulties in the conversion from communism to free enterprise.

Next came Romania, which had been ruled for decades by the communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu.  Massive demonstrations against his rule in December 1989 caused the army to join the people, and they captured Ceausescu as he attempted to flee with his wife.  They were executed on Christmas Day; the timing suggests that the revolutionaries were perhaps not any better.  But at least free elections began 1990.

Next came Romania, which had been ruled for decades by the communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu.  Massive demonstrations against his rule in December 1989 caused the army to join the people, and they captured Ceausescu as he attempted to flee with his wife.  They were executed on Christmas Day; the timing suggests that the revolutionaries were perhaps not any better.  But at least free elections began in 1990.

Ceausescu opposed abortion, unlike most communists.  The ban on abortion there helped avoid many of the health probablems caused by abortion.  Romanians had the lowest incidence of breast cancer in the Western world, far lower than the United States.  In 1990, American families rushed to Romania to adopt babies who were available for adoption there.  After Ceausescu was overthrown and abortion were legalized, Romania began promoting abortion, breast cancer skyrocketed, and there were no more babies available for adoption by Americans and others.

Ceausescu opposed abortion, unlike most communists.  The ban on abortion there had helped avoid many of the health problems caused by abortion.  Romanians had the lowest incidence of women's breast cancer in the Western world, far lower than the United States.  In 1990, American families rushed to Romania to adopt babies who were available for adoption there.  But after Ceausescu was overthrown and abortion were legalized, Romania began promoting abortion.  The abortion-related health problem of breast cancer then skyrocketed, and there were no more babies available for adoption by Americans and others.

The collapse of the communist dictatorship exposed underlying ethnic and religious conflict, particularly in Yugoslavia.  Its dictator, Marshall Tito (real name Josip Broz), ruled with an iron fist from 1945 to 1980, and the different ethnic groups could not fight each other as he suppressed all conflict.  He also insisted on some independence from the Soviet Union, and Stalin expelled him from the Soviet bloc in 1948.  Tito was succeeded in power by the Serb Slobodan Milosevic, which caused Slovenia and Croatia to seek independence due to their different ethnicity.  In June 1991, the Yugoslavian army attempted to suppress these independence movements.

The collapse of the communist dictatorship exposed underlying ethnic and religious conflict, particularly in Yugoslavia.  Its dictator, Marshall Tito (real name Josip Broz), ruled with an iron fist from 1945 to 1980, and the different ethnic groups could not fight each other as he suppressed all conflict.  He also insisted on some independence from the Soviet Union, and Stalin expelled him from the Soviet bloc in 1948.  Tito was succeeded in power by the Serb Slobodan Milosevic, which caused Slovenia and Croatia to seek independence due to their different ethnicity.  In June 1991, the Yugoslavian army attempted to suppress these independence movements.