Did you know that the Soviet Union was only days away from being reformed? You heard me right. On August 20, 1991, several of the republics of the Soviet Union were to sign the "New Union Treaty." This treaty would have transformed the highly centralized Union of Soviet Socialist Republics into a looser federation of sovereign states. However, this dream was shattered just one day prior to it even happening. On August 19, hardline communist sympathizer would launch a coup against Mikhail Gorbachev and his reforms. Despite the fact that coup was fought back by the people (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 through a decade or more of hardship and fighting.

But as history shows, coups are very fickle, and are prone to failure (even before they start). 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?

Contents 1 Point of Divergence 2 News Headlines 3 Recent additions 3.1 Recently Confirmed Additions (Canon) 3.2 Work in Progress (Proposal) 4 Want to contribute?

Point of Divergence Edit

In the afternoon of August 18, 1991, Oleg Baklanov, Valeriy Boldin, Oleg Shenin, and Deputy USSR Defense Minister General Valentin Varennikov flew to Crimea for a meeting with President Mikhail Gorbachev. Their plan is to force Gorbachev to either declare a state of emergency, or hand over power to Vice President Gennady Yanayev. The men board a Tupolev Tu-154 and depart from Sverdlovsk (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 others await word from the Crimea. By the early hours of August 19, it seemed clear that the plan had 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 New Union Treaty happens on schedule and with no mishaps. The socialist union was transformed into a union of sovereign states. With relief that their plan was not exposed, the conspirators would gradually move their own ways. On August 21, Yanayev would resign as Vice President. KGB head Vladimir Kryuchkov would resign his post later that week, and emigrate to Cuba later that year. Prime Minister Valentin Pavlov would not give up his post, but would later be voted out of office. It would not be until well into the new millennium that conspirator Boris Pugo (who would not "commit suicide") would come forward with the plot. By this time, the atmosphere in the Soviet Union (and the world) was much calmer and better. The Soviet people would be shocked as to how close they came to loosing all that they have achieved.

The August Coup was planned in order to "save" the Soviet Union. But in reality, the coup failing was probably the best thing for the union (if not the world). Granted, the world is no utopia, but in comparison to what the world has been through, the Soviet people have a hard time remembering their dark past.

News Headlines Edit

• February – Soviet scientists reportedly regenerate specimens of Silene stenophylla from placental tissue frozen approximately 32,000 years ago.

• December 18 – North Korea announces the death of its Dear Leader, Kim Jong-il.

• December 18 – Czech writer and and first non-communist President of Czechoslovakia, Václav Havel, dies at the age of 75.

• December 11 – The Soviet Union is accepted for membership in the World Trade Organization.

Recent additions Edit

Recently Confirmed Additions (Canon) Edit

• 2003 Moscow bombings
• Belorussia
• Chukotka
• Civil War in Afghanistan
• Communist Party of the Soviet Union
• Constitution of the Soviet Union
• Cuba
• Mesopotamia
• United States presidential election, 1992
• United States presidential election, 1996
• War on Terror

Work in Progress (Proposal) Edit

Want to contribute? Edit

Would you like to contribute to this timeline? Feel free to do so. You may either improve on an existing article, or be creative and form your own. If you do create your own article, please be so kind as to add {{Proposal|timeline=New Union}} to the top of the article, until it has become a valued part of this timeline. It would also be crucial that you read through the Editorial Guidelines for this timeline.

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