====== Zhirinovsky's Russian Empire ======

A [[late 20th century]] [[Russia|Russian timeline]] created by [[offtopic:Pellegrino Shots]]. Read it [[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=245924|here]].

----

==== Premise and PoD ====

The timeline features the real world eccentric nationalist politician, Vladimir Zhirinovsky, becoming President of Russia after a cascade of events in the early 1990s, including Yeltsin's assassination during the 1991 coup attempt. Zhirinovsky remains in power until he is overthrown by a popular revolution in 2003. The Soviet Union (minus the Baltic republics) are not dissolved, but are turned into a fascist-esque federation known as the Union of Independent States. It launches or gets involved in a series of wars in the dissolving Yugoslavia, Romania, Estonia, Afghanistan and Pakistan, besides doing its best to discourage its member republics from breaking away.

----

==== Awards ====

It won the **"[[https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/attachments/196917/|Best New Cold War Timeline]]"** category at the [[alternate history:2013 winners|2013]] [[alternate history:Turtledove Awards]].

----

==== Navigation ====

**[[Late 20th century|Late 20th Century Timelines]]**

**[[timelines:timelines_and_scenarios|Alternate History Timelines and Scenarios Main Directory]]**