This week in history: The 1991 Soviet coup

In his book “The Cold War: A New History,” John Lewis Gaddis writes: “Three chaotic days followed, at the end of which three things became clear: First, that the United States and most of the rest of the world regarded the coup as illegitimate and refused to deal with the plotters who had carried it out; second, that the plotters themselves had neglected to secure military and police support; and finally, that Boris Yeltsin ... had ensured its failure. ... Yeltsin had now replaced (Gorbachev) as the dominant leader in Moscow.”

Though Gorbachev had survived the coup, the Soviet Union ultimately proved too sick to be saved. Four months later, on Christmas Day, 1991, Gorbachev and other Soviet leaders voted the Soviet Union out of existence. Lenin's legacy was finished as Russia and its sister republics abandoned more than 70 years of communist rule.

Cody K. Carlson holds a master's degree in history from the University of Utah and currently teaches at Salt Lake Community College. He is also the co-developer of the History Challenge iPhone/iPad apps. Email: ckcarlson76@gmail.com