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The failure of the communist coup in Russia in 1991

This clip tells the story of the attempted coup of 1991, in which communist hardliners attempted to prevent further reforms. It outlines several reasons for the fall of the Soviet Union, including the actions of the Communist Party leadership, of Boris Yeltsin and of Mikhail Gorbachev himself. The footage also contains evidence of growing feelings of nationalism in Russia, as well as in the other republics of the USSR.

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6 minutes