The Second Russian Revolution

  • Mikhail Gorbachev

    Mikhail Gorbachev
    Gorbachev replaces Andrei Gromyko as the leader of Russia.
  • Reforms

    Reforms
    Gorbachev starts economic reforms to help Russia.
  • Glasnost

    Gorbachev launches a program called Glasnost. This is a campaign of political openness.
  • First Election

    The first free election is held in Russia since 1917.
  • Gorbachev and Stalin

    Gorbachev publicly calls Stalin's crimes unforgivable.
  • Independence

    Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia declare their independence from the Soviet Union this year.
  • Boris Yeltsin

    Boris Yeltsin
    Boris Yeltsin is elected the president of Russia.
  • Overthrow Gorbachev

    Yeltsin foils a plan to overthrow the government.
  • The Soviet Union Ends

    The Soviet Union falls apart and Russia becomnes an independent nation.