Boris Yeltsin had a problem with alcohol. That said, it's not impossible for such people to be much more functional than Yeltsin ended up by the 1990s. But it can be very difficult, and is best done with the support of family and friends.
So how might Yeltsin do if he was, if not a teetotaler, then very abstemious?
Getting there is obviously hard, so here's a suggested POD: In the 50s or early 60s, Yeltsin's wife dies after being struck by a car. The driver was drunk but unfortunately is either highly placed in the Party or has strong connections, and thus escapes serious punishment.
A year or two after that, Boris meets a young woman he falls madly in love with, and she reciprocates the feeling. She's very strong willed, and Yeltsin is utterly devoted to her. She helps a great deal in keeping him (relatively) sober and stable throughout his career in politics. Presumably, Yeltsin ITTL is able to rise at least as far and as fast in the Party ranks by the 1980s.
Without going crazy with the butterflies, how does Sober-Boris handle himself in the final decade of the USSR? If he ends up leading an independent Russia afterwards, how might his more capable leadership change the situation?
So how might Yeltsin do if he was, if not a teetotaler, then very abstemious?
Getting there is obviously hard, so here's a suggested POD: In the 50s or early 60s, Yeltsin's wife dies after being struck by a car. The driver was drunk but unfortunately is either highly placed in the Party or has strong connections, and thus escapes serious punishment.
A year or two after that, Boris meets a young woman he falls madly in love with, and she reciprocates the feeling. She's very strong willed, and Yeltsin is utterly devoted to her. She helps a great deal in keeping him (relatively) sober and stable throughout his career in politics. Presumably, Yeltsin ITTL is able to rise at least as far and as fast in the Party ranks by the 1980s.
Without going crazy with the butterflies, how does Sober-Boris handle himself in the final decade of the USSR? If he ends up leading an independent Russia afterwards, how might his more capable leadership change the situation?