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Gorbachev nominated General Secretary of the CPSU
Gorbachev was nominated to be apart of this group, and being a communist with strong conviction around the necessity reforms, he would soon attempt to democratize the Soviet Political system, leading it towards its downfall -
Soviet withdraw from Afghanistan
The withdrawal had begun on May 15 and ended on February 15 on 1989. Although they were getting on good terms with others because of the withdrawal, Gorbachev was still in charge and there was a weakness that was bringing the Soviet down -
Bush meeting with Gorbachev in Malta
They were starting negotiations and laying ground work, completing Conventional Forces in Europe treaty, also discussing the rapid changes in Eastern Europe. Because Gorbachev was doing something different, Bush encouraged it even though there was a weakness in the system -
Elections to the New Parliament
The CPSU controlled one-third of the seats, having the most democratic elections Russia has ever had and this was an important step on breaking down the CPSU's monopoly and power -
Boris Yeltsin
In this time period Boris Yeltsin was elected President and was the state's largest political entity. He championed the primacy of the Russian Republic over the authority of the Soviet Union which gave the people something to follow -
Yeltsin standing on the Tank
On this day, Yeltsin was standing on a tank giving a speech that the Russian would remember due to such the big impact it had towards them -
Tanks in the streets of Lithuania and Latvia
Violence was breaking out in Lithuania and Latvia causing the intervention of the Soviet to halt the uprising -
Bush supporting Gorbachev but communicating with Yeltsin
To show support towards Gorbachev he begun to support him through the hard times, signing the START treaty in Moscow Summit but he started to talk with Yeltsin -
Gorbachev placed under House Arrest
Communist hardliners had put Gorbachev under house arrest and transferred the power to the Vice President. They had plot to arrest Yeltsin but failed. -
End of the USSR
The Soviets Congress of Deputies had been disbanded, others like the Communist party, individual soviet republics, declaring their independence from the USSR. When Gorbachev resigned, it was the end of the USSR