1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt

The 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt was an effort by hardline Communist leaders to reverse reforms and preserve the USSR’s Soviet-style control. In August, they detained President Gorbachev and declared a state of emergency, aiming to halt political and economic changes. The public and Boris Yeltsin, then Russia’s leader, opposed the coup, leading to widespread protests. The coup failed after a few days, accelerating the USSR’s dissolution, which officially ended in December 1991, resulting in independent republics and the emergence of Russia as a separate nation.