New Union



Did you know that the Soviet Union was only days away from being reformed? That's right, on August 20, 1991, the first of 9 republics of the Soviet Union would sign the "New Union Treaty." This treaty would have reformed the Soviet Union from a hardline communist state into a [true] federation of sovereign states, run under democracy and freedom for all. However, this dream was shattered just one day prior to it even happening. On August 19, hardline communist sympathizer would launch a against Gorbachev. Despite the coup being fought back by the people and becoming a humiliating failure, it would ruin any attempt to preserve the Soviet Union. Just months later, the world's largest nation and one of the world's most powerful nations becomes 15 independent nations, each going threw a decade or more of hardship and fighting.

But as history shows, coups are very fickle, and are prone to failure. And as it has been revealed during our timeline, the August Coup was not planned out very well, and the conspirators made it easy for the coup to be crushed. So, what if the coup was ruined before it even happened? What if the coup never happened, and the world witnessed the formation of a New Union?

Point of Divergence
In the afternoon of August 18, 1991,, , , and Deputy USSR Defense Minister General flew to the Crimea for a meeting with Gorbachev. Their plan is to force Gorbachev to either declare a state of emergency, or hand over power to Vice President. The men board a Tupolev Tu-154 and depart from (now Yekaterinburg) to the Crimea. During the flight, all four men felt nervous about their mission, and began to drink in order to calm themselves down. By the end of the flight, Boldin and Shenin were passed out, and Baklanov was too drunk to stand up. Varennikov was sober enough to continue the mission, but fearing doing it alone, he gave up on the plan. All the four men could do was squabble home.

In Moscow, Gennady Yanayev and other await the word from the Crimea. By the early hours of August 19, it seemed clear that the plan has backfired. With no word from Varennikov, fear began to spread among the conspirators that he and the others were making a deal with Gorbachev, causing the plot to fall apart even more. Gorbachev arrives back in Moscow later that day, but has no idea of the coup that could have been. All that Gorbachev would remember about August 18 was the pressure of writing the speech for the big day tomorrow.



On August 20, 1991, the signing of the happens on scheduled and with no mishaps. The is transformed into the new and democratic. With some relief that their plan was not exposed, the he conspirators would gradually move their own ways. On August 21, Yanayev would resign as Vice President. head would resign his post later that week, and immigrate to Cuba later that year. Prime Minister would not give up his post, but would later be replaced by a less hardline politician. It would not be until well into administration that several of the conspirators would come forward and tell their story.

The coup was planned in order to save the Soviet Union. But in reality, the coup failing was probably the best thing for both the USSR and the world.

Nations



 * Afghanistan: Gorbachev would continue to support and fund the -government of Afghanistan. Just like their northern neighbors, Afghanistan would move towards a social democratic form of government, with more freedoms. Because Najibullah would remain in power, his work to bring peace between the Afghan government and the Mujaheddin would be successful. Though peace would eventually form between these two factions, the war in Afghanistan would continue as pro-Pakistani forces would lead to a new war. Thanks to the peace talks, the forces of the Najibullah-government (backed by the USSR) and the Mujaheddin forces (lead by Ahmad Shah Massoud) would lead to the defeat of the pro-Pakistani Taliban-government. Afghanistan is now going threw peace it has not seen in decades (unlike OTL), with a promising future for the nation.
 * Pashtunistan: Despite loosing the war, the Taliban would transform itself into a pro-Pashtun nationalist movement. In 1999, the Taliban declare the independence of southern Afghanistan into the . Pashtunistan is only recognized by Pakistan and a few other Islamic nations, while most of the world recognizes it as part of Afghanistan.


 * Bosnia: See Yugoslavia below


 * Croatia: See Yugoslavia below


 * Cyprus: The proposed would take more interest by the Greeks and Turks. In April 2004, the referendum votes in favor of the proposal, creating a new  based on equality and sovereignty between the two ethnic groups.


 * Czechoslovakia: The ideals of the Soviet Union and continuing to remain a united nation would also have its toll on Czechoslovakia. Despite the Czechs and Slovaks seeming to move in different directions politically, the thoughts of dissolving Czechoslovakia would seem out of the question. Today, Czechoslovakia is a strong and prosperous nation in Europe. They adopt the euro in 2009.




 * Ethiopia: With the continuation of the USSR, Gorbachev would not allow the Soviet's biggest ally in Africa to collapse. After the successful New Union Treaty, Gorbachev would assist in negotiations within . Peace talks between Ethiopia and the Eritrean People's Liberation Front help to prevent Ethiopia from being divided into two or more nations. The new Ethiopian government then models itself based on the New Union Treaty, dividing the many ethnic groups into their own sovereign nations. Today, Ethiopia is one of the richest and most powerful nations of Africa, and is helping to pave the way of the African Union.


 * Iraq: With Gorbachev's policies towards Saddam Hussein being considered "soft" by the Americans, the US would continue covert operations in the former Soviet ally. In 1995, when reports and rumors that a planned coup and assassination plot against Hussein reaches Washington, the CIA is more interested than in OTL. The plot is successful, Hussein is dead much earlier, and Iraq begins to move towards democracy. The Iraqi National Congress (INC) takes control of Iraq, and establishes better relations with the Iraqi minorities. In 2003, Iraq would transform itself into a federation made up of three "states": a Sunni state, a Shia state, and a Kurdish state. The "Second Gulf War" would not happen.
 * Kurdistan: With Hussein gone, the growing disputes between the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan would not break out into a civil war. Instead, both parties would be calm enough to look towards a brighter future, but still having some conflict between the two. Tensions would finally die down by 2002, and Kurdistan would help to establish the "" in 2003.


 * Somalia: Somalia would still be run by the ICU, and would also be a safe haven for Al-Qaeda (especially after the US-lead invasion of Sudan [see below]). With terrorist attacks on Ethiopia and a 9/11-like attack on the Soviet Union, a joint Soviet-Ethiopian invasion of Somalia takes place.
 * Somaliland: The people of Somaliland would be a grateful ally of the Soviets. Because of which, the USSR begins to help supply the region. The Soviets would go a step further, and recognizes the independence of Somaliland. The UK and the US would follow suit, leading to the global recognition of the republic.


 * Sudan: With Afghanistan sill backed and protected by the USSR, remains in Sudan (not to mention northeastern Africa). Similar to OTL, the wealth of bin Laden would cause the Sudanese governmnent (lead by ) to be more reluctant to let bin Laden leave their nation (as in OTL). Sudan falls to a similar path that Afghanistan had done in OTL, with crime and anti-government factions keeping the nation in chaos. After 9/11, the United States recognizes Sudan (not Afghanistan) as the home of Al-Qaeda.
 * Darfur and South Sudan: During their war, the United States would gain huge support from the separatist regions of Sudan. and  would greatly assist in the overthrow of the radical Sudanese government. Instead of staying in their new and liberated federation, Darfur and South Sudan declare their independence, and gain full support from the international community (particularly by the United States and the African community).




 * Soviet Union: The new USSR has evolved into a loose federation, currently made up of 21 republics which contain their own sovereignty. In comparison, the new federation would act much like the United Kingdom or the European Union, in which it is a "country of countries." At its formation, the former republics of Armenia, Estonia, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Moldova would leave the Soviet Union. The breakaway regions of Abkhazia, Gagauzia, South Ossetia, and Pridnestrovie would be accepted into the USSR only a few years after the reformation. For years after, the republics would feel awkward in defining their position within the new federation, but the better political and economic situation than OTL would keep the new union together and thriving.
 * Chechnya: Chechnya was the only region within the nine republics to have boycotted the referendum in March 1991. With the Soviet Union continuing to exist, Chechnya would feel more cautious as to gain independence, but would continue to advocate the idea if they did not get better recognition by Moscow. Gorbachev (though weary about Chechnya) would cooperate with Chechnya and would work to bring peace for the region. By 1994, the Chechens would gain their wish and become a sovereign republic of the USSR. Today, the Chechen-Soviet relations are much better than they were in the early 90s. Both wars in Chechnya are avoided, and the region itself is showing an economic boom that it hasn't seen in history.
 * United States: Despite the USSR continuing to exist, the USA does not differ too much from OTL. Gorbachev would continue better relations with the US, which would end the Cold War tensions in both nations.
 * Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands: Unlike OTL, Cuba and the the USSR would restart relations in the mid 1990s (rather than the early 2000s). As part of the, former communist factions and nations in the Americas would request Soviet assistance and reopen Soviet relations. Though this does not establish a fear of a second "Cuban Missile Crisis," the recurring Soviet presence in the Caribbean would spark some concerns by several of the nations and territories. During the 1998 plebiscite in Puerto Rico, the "Soviet concern" would cause more Puerto Ricans voters to support statehood. Similar to OTL, the divide between "Statehood" and "None of the above" was very close, but statehood was the majority. A similar vote would be place in the US Virgin Islands, which also wanted statehood because of similar conditions. Because the islands had a very low population, statehood was out of the question for the USVI, but Congress was very supportive for PR. Both Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands would be admitted as into the Union as the united "."


 * Yemen(s): Only four years after unifying, Yemen breaks out into civil war. (which was once a Soviet ally) declares their independence. The USSR recognizes and supports the independence, followed by other nations in the region (primarily Saudi Arabia). Yemen once again is divided between North and South.




 * Yugoslavia: The reformation and reforms of the Soviet Union was far too late to prevent the breakup and civil war in Yugoslavia, but the continuation of the USSR would cause a big shift in the war. With Croatia forming more relations with NATO and the west, many in the Soviet Union (primarily volunteers) would show more sympathy towards the Yugoslav government. Though the USSR would never send troops or make true mention of their side, the Soviet presence would cause more nationalism and ethnic superiority for both the Serbs and Croats. In 1994, the would be annexed into Serbia, with the Croats soon annexing the . Bosnia would become two separate enclaves from the vast region it held onto for a century. Despite the war seeming more active, there would (ironically) be less bloodshed during the war, but crimes against humanity would be charged to both Yugoslavia and Croatia. Yugoslavia remains a nation in Europe to this day.
 * Kosovo: Despite Yugoslavia remaining a nation with a Serb majority, the sovereignty ideals of the Soviet Union would reach Yugoslavia and Kosovo. Lead by many politicians (most important ) would show more unity for the Albanians and Serbs of Yugoslavia into a movement known as the "Balkania movement." Gorbachev would visit Yugoslavia in 1997, and travels through Kosovo to support peace in the region. War in Kosovo would not happen, as both growing unity (and maybe some fear of external forces) would lead to Kosovo gaining full sovereignty as a republic of Yugoslavia. The relations between the Serbs and Albanians are still tense, but much better than OTL.
 * Macedonia: While the people of the "Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia" would gain independence from Yugoslavia, the ideas of unity for Albanians in Yugoslavia would flow south to Macedonia. In 2001, political protests in Macedonia would lead the government to consider its Albanian minorities. By 2004, the overall cooperation between the Albanians in Macedonia, an the Slavic majority showing more nostalgia towards Yugoslavia, Macedonia would agree to join in the new Yugoslav federation. The Albanian portions of Macedonia had since been transferred over to Kosovo, while the tensions between the Macedonians and Greeks have dissipated into almost nothing.

Cold War



 * Cold War: The term "Cold War" has greatly changed since the fall of communism. Culturally, the Cold War has been over since the 1990s, with the USA and USSR seeming to become closer friends. Politically and militarily, the Cold War continues to play an important role between American and Soviet policies.
 * Superpowers: The Soviet Union retained its superpower status after the reformation, and the USSR continues to have a major influence globally. The world is still divided between the Americans and the Soviets, but the tensions have greatly loosened since the 1990s.
 * KGB: The KGB continues to exist in this timeline, and would act like the current FSB in OTL.
 * Red Army: The term "Red Army" has changed, now referring to a communist army. However, the Soviet military is still considered the Red Army by both the Soviet Union and the United States.
 * NATO: With the USSR continuing to exist, the expansion of NATO eastward would not happen. Instead, the nations of the former Eastern Bloc would form the, which work with both NATO and the CSTO.
 * European Union: While NATO is seen as a divide between the East and West, the would be seen more as a cooperation between the nations of Europe, neutral and independent from the USA and USSR. The EU is currently moving away from both superpowers, growing into its own superpower.

Politics



 * Communism: The Soviet Union is no longer a single party communist state, but the is still a major political party in the USSR. The USSR still holds strong alliances with the remaining communist states (i.e., China and Cuba), as well as other communist and socialist organizations around the world.
 * Political parties: The two major parties of the Soviet Union today are Gorbachev's, and Putin's . Other parties include the Liberal Democratic Party, the pro-European Yabloko, and of course the Communist Party.

Space



 * Soviet space program: In 1993, the space program of the USSR was organized into a NASA-like entity known as the (or Soyuzcosmos). The Baikonur Cosmodrome continues to act as the primary spaceport for the USSR. The city of Baikonur has become a major tourist destination for those interested in space.


 * Buran Program: Instead of canceling the program, the USSR showed more interest in the Buran shuttle program, and would refund the program. By 1995, the US and the USSR had shuttle programs.


 * International Space Station: Despite the fact that there are now two shuttle programs, the ISS would not be built. With a better Soviet economy and optimism, the idea of combining ' and ' into the ISS would not be thought of as likely. Instead, both stations would become their own, run by their respective governments. Despite there not being cooperation on a single space station by the USA and USSR, there is still a cooperation between the two nations. "Soviet astronauts" have served on Freedom, while "American cosmonauts" have served on on Mir-2.


 * Soviet Moonshot: Despite the Soviet Union still not reaching the Moon any earlier than now, it is believed that the USSR shows interest in getting to the Moon before the United States, maybe as early as 2012.

News Headlines

 * March 11, 2011: The Soviet Union (as well as all UN security council members) vote in favor of . Thus, the USSR has acceded to the UN Security Council sanctions. Among other things, the decree prohibits Muammar Gaddafi, his entourage and their relatives to enter the territory and the transit through the Soviet Union.
 * March 5, 2011: recognizes the.
 * February 24, 2011: The Soviet Union releases a formal statement on the rebellion in Libya. The Soviets strongly condemned the use of force against civilians in Libya, and urged respect for human rights and international law.
 * February 15, 2011: Rebellion breaks out in . Despite the USSR requesting and urging the Libyan people to look for peaceful means, the USSR threatens to go to war if NATO were to get involved.
 * January 25, 2011: The Supreme Soviet approves the, a month after its ratification by the.
 * November 26, 2010: The declares  and other officials of the Soviet Union to have been responsible for the 1940 .
 * September 24, 2010: Former Soviet Vice President dies at the age of 73.
 * August 7, 2010: The death rate in Moscow doubles to 700 people per day due to poisonous smog from wildfires and a heat wave in western Russia.

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