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It looks as if some people either have a short memory and are forgetting about that time and the events that occurred then ... Let us recall the putsch of August 19, 1991. It was after the putsch that the republics began, one after another, to declare their independence. Russia also declared its independence. This was approved by the Supreme Soviet, and you know and remember that there was the Declaration on the Independence of Russia. So, the entire course of history was leading to a point when the regime, the political regime in the country had to be changed. It demonstrated that the Union was not as strong as this was loudly preached by mass media and the propaganda in general. The republics wished to become independent. This must only be welcomed... We have good peaceful relations and there were no military clashes. None of these countries had revolutions with bloody casualties and there was no civil war in any of the republics... Russia had to chance and it did change.

Boris Yeltsin#12

PoliticsHistoryIndependenceSoviet

About this quote

What does it mean?
Yeltsin reflects on the 1991 coup and the subsequent independence of republics, arguing that the USSR was weak and its breakup inevitable.
In plain terms
He says the Soviet Union was weak and its collapse was inevitable after the 1991 coup.
What can you take from it?
Historical events can reveal underlying systemic weaknesses.

Where it applies

  • analysis of political transitions
  • educational lectures

Putting it to work

  • contextualizing current events
  • teaching history

Questions to consider

  • What factors contribute to a state's collapse?
  • Can media narratives shape perceptions of strength?

Another view

His view may oversimplify complex causes.

More from Boris Yeltsin

  1. I cannot shift the blame for Chechnya, for the sorrow of numerous mothers and fathers. I made the decision, therefore I am responsible.

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  2. We don't appreciate what we have until it's gone. Freedom is like that. It's like air. When you have it, you don't notice it.

    Permalink to quote #13
  3. A sense of proportion and humanitarian action are not issues for terrorists. Their aim is that of killing and destroying.

    Permalink to quote #10

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