Challenge: Russia disintegrates in the 1990s

How would it be possible for Russia to disintegrate entirely following the end of the Cold War? Would this be possible with a POD in the early 1990s, or would the POD need to be earlier?
 
Perhaps with a civil war occuring, of course anything that would make Russia itself disintegrate would probably involve a couple of nuclear explosions going off or something else similarily unhealthy for the average Ivan.
 
I guess that should the August Coup succeed, or any other coup d'etats against either Gorbachov or Jeltsyn happen, chances for Russia's desintegration would increase. This, however might have led to a situation simmilar to 1936 in China; a number of warlords (former Soviet generals and marshals) fighting for domination over Russia. And that would be unhealthy not only for a statiscit Russian, but for evety Polis, Lithuanian, Latvian and other neighbours of the former Soviet Union.
 
I guess that should the August Coup succeed, or any other coup d'etats against either Gorbachov or Jeltsyn happen, chances for Russia's desintegration would increase. This, however might have led to a situation simmilar to 1936 in China; a number of warlords (former Soviet generals and marshals) fighting for domination over Russia. And that would be unhealthy not only for a statiscit Russian, but for evety Polis, Lithuanian, Latvian and other neighbours of the former Soviet Union.


I definitely think that having the 1993 anti-Yeltsin coup succeeding (or partially succeeding) would be the key. If the 1991 coup had succeeded it would have kept the Soviet Union largely together, but with the Soviet successors states already independent by Yeltsin's time, a semi-successful coup could allow for the full and unhindered successions of Tatarstan, Chechnya, and then individual 'czardoms' as former Soviet and Russian Federation military commanders and regional governors become sovereign in their own territory. Probably would still end up with a powerhouse centered on Volgograd, Moscow, and St. Petersburg, but many of the Central Asian and southern territories could be easily lost.
 

Thande

Donor
I remember newspaper articles as late as 1997 that claimed that half of Russia's autonomous republics were on the verge of seceding. Don't know how realistic that was, though. I agree the 1993 coup is the most likely cause (and a really, really underrated WI).
 
I remember newspaper articles as late as 1997 that claimed that half of Russia's autonomous republics were on the verge of seceding. Don't know how realistic that was, though. I agree the 1993 coup is the most likely cause (and a really, really underrated WI).

You're probably right... the more I think of it. I admit, I remember the whole coup stuff only vaguely from seeing on TV (bear in mind, I was 10 years old back then). I should read up on it a bit more... :eek:

Otherwise, I'm really wondering now on the consequences. It was very early in the morning when I came up with this thread. I tend to do a lot of these blunders lately... I wonder why... :rolleyes:
 
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