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?
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?