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Intelligence Briefing

Revmir Ishakovich Yacov - aka "Comrade Jack"

Part III. Yeltsin & the Republic

In May of 1990, Boris Nicholayevich Yeltsin was elected speaker of the Supreme Soviet of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic.

It was becoming less Soviet and Socialist each day.

Yeltsin had once been a supporter of the reform-minded Mikhail Gorbachev, General Secretary of the Soviet Union.

However, as speaker, Yeltsin criticized Gorbachev's slow pace at implementing reform.

Yeltsin openly attacked Gorbachev and demanded greater autonomy for Russia.


Gorbachev dispised Yeltsin but the Russian leader was too popular to send to the gulag.

Instead, he tried to lure Yeltsin to a private fishing dacha where an accidental drowning could be arranged.

Gorby insisted, the "big ones" were biting.



Then, in June of 1991, Russians elected Yeltsin their President.

It was the first multi-candidate election in Russian history.

Although the ballots at first confused Russian voters, they seemed to adapt more quickly to the process than, say, voters in West Palm Beach.

Not a single hanging chad was reported.

Boris Yeltsin was a populist and the people who voted him into office had high hopes that he could improve their dreary lives. Mikhail Gorbachev had no such hopes.

Gorbachev knew what the election meant, but could not stem the Russian Republic's growing autonomy as Yeltsin demanded more and more power be transferred to him from the central Soviet government.

Russia was already the largest and most powerful Soviet Republic.

Gorbachev was desperate to keep Yeltsin from declaring outright independence for Russia.

He had no choice but to grant concession after concession to the brash, tough talking Russian President.


The world did not know it yet, but the great Soviet Bear was bankrupt.






Continue to Part IV. The Coup

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