1991: Gorbachev resigns as Soviet Union breaks up
Mikhail Gorbachev, leader of the Soviet Union for almost seven years, stepped down from office on 25 December 1991.
He announced his resignation live on television, as the Soviet Union was replaced by the Commonwealth of Independent States.
Control of the former Soviet Union鈥檚 nuclear force passed to Russian Prime Minister Boris Yeltsin.
大象传媒 Archive: Originally broadcast on 26 December 1991.