Timeline (New Union)

This timeline describes how the August Coup was discovered prior to it being executed. Mikhail Gorbachev remains in power and the Soviet Union is reformed into a "New Union."

1985

 * March 11: After the sudden death of General Secretary Konstantin Chernenko, is declared the General Secretary of the Soviet Union..

1986

 * April 26: In the Ukraine, the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant's fourth reactor has a meltdown.

1987



 * June: Gorbachev establishes Glasnost and Perestroika in order to reform the Soviet Union.

1990

 * March 15: Mikhail Gorbachev officially forms the office of "President of the Soviet Union." Gorbachev becomes the first President of the USSR.


 * July: At the 28th Congress, President Gorbachev proposes a solution to the Soviet Union's increasing ethnic problems, which will be morphed into the New Union Treaty.


 * November 23: The first draft of the New Union Treaty is submitted to the Supreme Soviet.

1991

 * January 1: A drafting committee is formed. Nine of the Fifteen republics attended the drafting.


 * March 6: The proposal was approved by the Soviet of the Union and sent to the Supreme Soviets of the republics for approval. Agreement could not be reached on the distribution of power between the Union and the Republics and the proposal was not approved. As an additional restrictive element, some autonomous republics expressed the desire to raise their status and to be a party to the new Soviet treaty.


 * March 17: a popular referendum was held in the nine republics which participated in the drafting of the treaty. In the referendum 76% of voters supported maintaining the federal system of the Soviet Union, including a majority in all of the nine republics. Opposition was greatest in large cities like Leningrad and Moscow. The referendum was mostly boycotted in the other six republics already moving towards independence. The majority of residents of the Ukraine supported joining the Union on the terms of Declaration of State Sovereignty of Ukraine.


 * April 23: An agreement between the Soviet central government and the nine republics, the so-called "9+1" agreement was finally signed in Novo-Ogaryovo. The New Union Treaty will convert the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics into a federation of independent republics with a common president, foreign policy, and military.

New Union (POD)



 * July 29: Gorbachev got wind of their surveillance by those loyal to Gorbachev in the KGB. It is later learned that several in his administration (including KGB Chairman and Vice President ) are planning a coup against him.


 * August 9: As ordered by Gorbachev, KGB officers arrest Vice President Yanayev and several other for the suspicion of treason and attempting a coup. The men are brought to the KGB building in Moscow for questioning. In the morning after, Soviet news agencies get wind the story. Gorbachev rebuts and states that Yanayev has been relieved of his position as Vice President on the pretext of Gorbachev's inability to perform presidential duties due to "illness".


 * August 20: The Belorussian SSR, Russian SFSR, the Kazakh SSR, the Tajik SSR, and the Uzbek SSR sign the New Union Treaty in Moscow.


 * September 10: The Azerbaijan SSR, the Kirgiz SSR, and the Turkmen SSR sign the New Union Treaty. The Ukrainian SSR remains absent from the signing.


 * September 30: After weeks of discussion and rallies on both sides, the Ukrainian SSR signs the New Union Treaty in Moscow. The remaining six republics continue to deny any part in the treaty in order to become independent.


 * October 25: The Soviet Union officially announces the recognition of the six remaining republics as sovereign. In a press release, President Gorbachev states:

"I do not support that Armenia, Estonia, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Moldova moving away from the others. But as I have said in the past to the rest of Eastern Europe, 'its your decision, not mine'. I hope that all the republics (no matter what government they are under) will continue to work together for the common goals of equality and unity."


 * November 7: On the 74th anniversary of the October Revolution, Gorbachev announces that the new Constitution has been drafted and awaiting approval from all the 9 republics.


 * December 26: The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics ceases to exist, and seven new countries take its place (,, , , , , and the ).

1992



 * March 1: is accepted into the UN. The  (PMR) declares sovereignty once again and requests admission into the.


 * March 2: Moldovan forces march into Pridnestrovie in hops of regaining control. President Gorbachev orders a retaliate move on Pridnestrovie in response. The begins.


 * July 21: A ceasefire is declared in the War of Pridnestrovie. Soviet troops remain in the little republic. President Gorbachev declares intentions to administer the republic as a republic of the USSR (which is what Pridnestrovie has wanted from the start).


 * August 7: and  (another [former] autonomous republic of the USSR) are administrated into the USSR as republics.

1993

 * January 3: In Moscow, and  sign the second Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START II).

1994

 * January 14: and Mikhail Gorbachev sign the Kremlin Accords, which stop the preprogrammed aiming of nuclear missiles toward each country's targets.
 * September 3: The Soviet Union and agree to de-target their nuclear weapons against each other.

1995

 * February 11: Mikhail Gorbachev is elected as (the first democratically elected leader of the USSR). He defeats opponent  by a majority vote (most being the non-Russian republics).
 * May 7: Gorbachev is sworn into his second term as President of the Soviet Union.

1996

 * March 6: Chechen rebels attack the Russian government headquarters in Grozny; 70 Russian soldiers and policemen and 130 Chechen fighters are killed.
 * May 27: Mikhail Gorbachev meets with Chechnyan rebels for the first time and negotiates a cease-fire in the war.

1998

 * September: Mikhail Gorbachev travels to Mongolia. Meeting with President, the two work out a joint agreement between the nations. The two have been in strain since both moved from hard-lined communist governments.

2000

 * February 11: Independent nominee is elected as the second President of the Soviet Union.
 * May 8: Putin is sworn in a President of the USSR. Gorbachev attends the ceremony.
 * August 12: After an explosion in the torpedo tube, the Soviet submarine K-141 Kursk sinks in the Barents Sea.
 * November: Mongolian President Natsagiin Bagabandi travels to Moscow to. Rumors fly that Mongolia shows interest in joining the Soviet Union.

2001

 * January 1: the becomes a . At the stroke of midnight, the borders between Russia and Mongolia open, in which citizens of both sides greet the other, and celebration erupts.
 * February 18: FBI agent Robert Hanssen is arrested and charged with spying for the Soviet Union for 15 years.
 * March 23: The Soviet space station Mir re-enters the atmosphere near Nadi, Fiji, and falls into the Pacific Ocean.
 * April 28: Soviet Shuttle lifts off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, carrying the first space tourist, American Dennis Tito.
 * May 6: Space tourist Dennis Tito returns to Earth aboard Baikal.

2003



 * January 1: The adopts a new flag design which describes the Nordic heritage of Estonia. In response to the flag change, several languages (including English) adopt the Germanic name of the nation: Estland.

2007



 * June 4: The Soviet city of Sochi wins the vote to host the . This is the second time the Soviet Union will host the Olympics (the last being Moscow in 1980).
 * October 7: In response to the continuing insurgency in the Northern Caucasus, as well as the growing need for better representation in the, (Son of former Chechen President Akhmad Kadrov), with support from Dagestan and North Ossetia, proclaims the . In hopes of gaining support from the the insurgents to support the new republic and end the war, the republic is renamed the "Islamic Republic of Ichkeria."

2008

 * August 7-8: invades the de facto independent  in an attempt to reconquer the area. The  reacted by deploying combat troops in South Ossetia and launching bombing raids deep into Georgia.
 * August 9: Soviet forces entered western parts of Georgia's interior. After five days of heavy fighting, the Georgian forces were routed, enabling the Soviets to enter uncontested Georgia and occupy the cities of Poti, Gori, Senaki, and Zugdidi.
 * August 12: After mediation by the French presidency of the European Union, the parties reached a preliminary ceasefire agreement, signed by Georgia on 15 August in Tbilisi and by the USSR on 16 August in Moscow. President had already ordered a halt to Soviet military operations, but fighting did not stop immediately. After signing the ceasefire agreement, the USSR pulled most of its troops out of uncontested Georgia, but established a buffer zone around South Ossetia and also created check-points in Georgia's interior, (Poti, Senaki, Perevi).
 * August 26: President Putin issues an executive order, declaring the acceptance of South Ossetia as a republic of the USSR.




 * October 8: The Soviet Union completes its withdrawal from uncontested Georgia, but remain stationed South Ossetia under bilateral agreements with the corresponding governments. According to a number of European and US sources, the USSR has not fully complied with the peace agreement because Georgia lost control of some of its territories.
 * November 27: The citizens of the Kaliningrad Oblast of Russia vote in favor of the enclave becoming an.

2009

 * December 21: It is proposed to the Union Assembly to make the city of Moscow as its own entity, similar to Washington, DC.

2010



 * February 10: nominee  is elected President of the Soviet Union.