WI Gorbachev had replaced the "gang of eight" on July 1991?

On July 29 1991, Soviet President Gorbachev, Russian President Boris Yeltsin and Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev discussed the possibility of replacing such hardliners as Pavlov, Yazov, Kryuchkov and Pugo with more liberal figures. This conversation was eavesdropped on by the KGB and became known to Vladimir Kryuchkov who had placed Gorbachev under close surveillance as Subject 110 several months earlier.
In OTL Gorbachev went for vacation intending to dismiss the hardliners upon his return but he was caught off guard 20 days later when August Coup was launched...
WI Gorbachev acted quickly and dismissed hardliners from Government as soon as possible? Would he be able then to thwart a coup by the dismissed "gang of eight"?
How is this altering History? Any thoughts?
 
Difficult to say. But at a guess, - less influental Yeltsin and, if GoE just steps down peacefully, stronger opposition as well. Probably even that won't save USSR but may lead to stronger Russia/tighter CIS and no September 1993. (or one where Yeltsin loses.)
 

King Thomas

Banned
With the coup thwarted, the USSR does not break apart like it did, and slowly turns into a semi-democracy. Crime is still a big problem but Russia does not go through s period of great weakness for several years.
 
On July 29 1991, Soviet President Gorbachev, Russian President Boris Yeltsin and Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev discussed the possibility of replacing such hardliners as Pavlov, Yazov, Kryuchkov and Pugo with more liberal figures. This conversation was eavesdropped on by the KGB and became known to Vladimir Kryuchkov who had placed Gorbachev under close surveillance as Subject 110 several months earlier.
In OTL Gorbachev went for vacation intending to dismiss the hardliners upon his return but he was caught off guard 20 days later when August Coup was launched...
WI Gorbachev acted quickly and dismissed hardliners from Government as soon as possible? Would he be able then to thwart a coup by the dismissed "gang of eight"?
How is this altering History? Any thoughts?
Maybe, another people would be conspirators-and they could be more resolute, or maybe the same persons would be.
 
With the coup thwarted, the USSR does not break apart like it did, and slowly turns into a semi-democracy. Crime is still a big problem but Russia does not go through s period of great weakness for several years.

I dunno... there was already a LOT of agitation for independence from several places, but particularly the Baltic states... I think sooner or later, several states would declare independence, and Moscow could either let them go or smack them down... not a great choice to have to make...
 
I'd say an earlier coup attempt. Which may or may not be a repeat of OTL, for in this matter it is not an attempt to add liberal policies to the system but one section of the government kicking out the other. Sounds somewhat similar to OTL but it could frame the attempts by Gorbachev not as a reformer but an old school leader kicking out those who disagree.
 
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