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Multiple factors led up to the USSR's demise. The excessive emphasis on centralised planning, unproductive agriculture, neglect of consumer goods at the expense of heavy industry, and an authoritarian state machine, led the regime by the late 1980s to be extremely unpopular. When Gorbachev attempted to reform the Soviet Union, he in fact made the problems worse. Perestroika worsened the economy instead of helping it, leading to the emergence of mass shortages for basic food staples, a decline in the quality of services, and a sharp rise in the national debt. Glasnost allowed for people to openly dissent against the regime, and they did, electing reformist president Boris Yeltsin as the President of the RFSSR in 1991.

Initially, it looked like the USSR might hang on. A referendum held in March of 1991 showed overwhelming support for the continuation of the Union. However, the August coup attempt changed that, when hardline Communists tried to overthrow Gorbachev and reverse the political and economic reforms that he had put through. This lead to the crumbling of the union, with Ukraine declaring independence later in the year, and Boris Yeltsin signing an agreement with the remaining republics, Belarus and Kazakhstan, to dissolve the union.

It was clear that the mass of Russians at this point were tired of the Soviet system, and wanted to transition to a more western oriented market economy. However, when this was actually put into practice their views changed dramatically, and by the late 1990s the vast majority of Russian's were crying for the Soviet system back, reeling in remorse for their ingratitude previously, prepared to sacrifice their freedom to have bread on the table once again.

Inflation skyrocketed to over 1000% when all exchange and price controls were suddenly lifted. Mass privatisation resulted in millions of job losses. State owned assets were sold off at a fraction of their worth to ex-bureaucrats turned oligarchs who often moved their wealth abroad and robbed the coffers of the enterprises they had been given. Organised crime spiralled out of control as people resorted to whatever means necessary to survive. Life expectancy declined, as the quality of healthcare worsened and many fell into a deep depression and turned to alcohol.

But I think what many people miss, is how close Russia was at various points to a communist restoration during this time. The 1993 constitutional crisis posed a major challenge to Yeltsin's reform agenda. Parliament could have won, if they had focused less on forces within the establishment coming to their aid and focused more on building a rank and file movement. The generals in the army in the end thought that Yeltsin was their best bet.

This is a pattern you see throughout the 90s. Down below there was mass resentment and anger, but the forces capable of delivering change wanted to try and achieve power through constitutional means, even in a country as corrupt and as rigged as the Russian Federation at that time. Of course, it is natural for people to chose the path of least resistance at first. That was why the Communist Party of the Russian Federation found such appeal when it was first founded in 1993, because its premise was that it was a mass front for opposition to Yeltsin, and based on the principle of peaceful electoral means of restoring communist power. However, Viktor Anpilov of the Communist Workers Party, opposed this new party, believing it to be reformist and incapable of delivering change. The CWP had been a mass force early in the decade, attempting to build a mass grassroots army in support of parliament. However, most of its members then defected to the CPRF when it was founded, despite Anpilov himself opposing it.

But at this time, there was ample opportunity for an armed struggle. The Chechen rebels were doing it, even some anarchist and National Bolshevik groups formed their own militias. But for whatever reason, the CWP did not after 1993, despite still having a large base of members.

What if, in an alternate timeline, Viktor Anpilov continues on the struggle? Similar to the leftist insurrectionist groups during the cold war in places like Latin America, the CWP enters itself into the civic life of the working class, and sets up mutual aid initiatives like food banks and free medical checkups? Whilst committing armed terrorism against oligarchs and seeking to overthrow the government.

They claim to be the successor of the Soviet Union, and they have many claims to legitimacy with this.

1. In 1991 the electorate of the Soviet Union had overwhelmingly backed its continuation, and despite Ukraine declaring independence later that year, Russia, Kazakhstan, and Belarus had no other referendum other than the one in March. They had no final say in the breakup, and so therefore, the USSR still is the legitimate government of Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan.

2. That whilst there was support back then for a transition to capitalism, the people of Russia should have a chance to change their minds after realising the consequences. At this stage, Yeltsin's approval rating was in single digits.

3. That turnout was too low during the referendums regarding approval of Yeltsin in 1993 to be considered legitimate.

The spark will probably be during the election of 1996. Gennady Zyganov of the CPRF had a strong lead, and was widely believed to be the next president. However, because of state control of the media, a huge public financing campaign, and raw vote rigging, Yeltsin remained in power.

If there had been a force outside the CPRF, who could have called out the authoritarian behaviour of the Yeltsin government, and claiming that the Russian people must fight for democracy, I believe it would have found overwhelming support. In OTL the will of the people was scuffled by the reformist parties and the Federation of Independent Trade Unions, who constantly tried to dampen the struggle and opposed insurrection in favor of misplaced faith in constitutionalism.

By this time in the ATL, the CWU has control over nearly all of the southern Russia 'red belt'. They seek an alliance with the Chechen rebels, and call for an end to the war. By the time of the economic crisis of 1998, the CWU has built enough of an influence around the rank and file industrial working class, to successfully call an indefinite general strike, taking the control over labor from the RFITU and calling for an insurrection. By 1999, all of Russia is under communist control.

On the international scale, this leads to an immediate resumption of cold war hostilities. The new regime is hardline, and desperate to get revenge on the United States. Oligarchs flee the country or risk being lynched by angry mobs. All privatised land is re-nationalised without compensation, and the government launches a 5 year plan to quickly repair the military industrial complex of the Russian state. However, some reforms are retained. Agriculture remains in private hands, and more consumer goods are produced, but other than that the events of the last 10 years are like they never happened.

Viktor Anpilov becomes the new President of Russia, now called the Russian Social Union. An agreement with Belarus and Khazakstan is launched to create a new USSR, this time more decentralised than previously. Crimea is annexed in the early 00s, leading to extremely hostile relations with Ukraine. The climate between Russia and the US in OTL is moved almost 20 year forward, as the new USSR starts placing military bases on Venezuela and Iraq, saying that if Bush tries to topple Saddam they will be declaring war on them. Venezuela also goes the full way with its revolution, turning to a completely planned economy and getting aid from the Soviets.

Communism returns as a mass ideology. The new regime allies itself with numerous third world regimes, Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, Nepal, and says that the USSR will take a more interventionist role like it did its early years, arming numerous rebel groups and seeking to get retribution on the United States for a decade of humiliation and defeat. The 2008 crash sees a surge in support for communism worldwide, and the new USSR is placed in a similar position as it was after the crash of 1929. Mass support for anti-capitalist ideas is found in the countries of the west, and the USSR seems like an attractive alternative.
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