History UsefulNotes / BorisYeltsin

In 1993, he dissolved the parliament in order to solve his confrontations with the Supreme Soviet, which then tried to remove him from office. The army sided with Yeltsin, and shelled the Russian White House, causing the death of 187 people. He then scrapped the constitution and introduced one from scratch, with stronger presidential power, which was approved by a referendum. At the same time, he temporarily banned political opposition and deepened his economic experimentation (which, in hindsight, became almost an economic suicide).

A year later, he ordered the invasion of Chechnya in order to restore Moscow's control over that republic. This, in addition to his economical 'achievements' mentioned above, led to [[ZeroPercentApprovalRating his rating falling to 5% by March 1996]]. In order to win the elections that year, a peace agreement was signed, leaving behind a devastated Chechnya still under separatist control. Yeltsin did manage to win thanks to non-stop manipulations by government- (and Yeltsin-friendly [[CorruptCorporateExecutive oligarchs-]]) controlled media raising his rating from 5% to 60% over six months and an alliance with the third most popular presidental candidate (after Yeltsin and Communist Gennady Zyuganov) Alexandr Lebed, who gave his 15% of votes to Yeltsin.

A year later, he ordered the invasion of Chechnya in order to restore Moscow's control over that republic. In 1996, a peace agreement was signed, leaving behind a devastated Chechnya still under separatist control.

All these crises, along with lack of international support (and US opposition) regarding Chechnya, caused him to do a surprise resignation in the last day of the last month of 1999. You know who came next.

Besides all these things, he also became known for his notorious alcoholism, which he struggled with ever since his days as a party boss in [[PleaseSelectNewCityName Sverdlovsk/Yekaterinburg]], and which seemed to get [[FromBadToWorse worse and worse]] for all of his presidential career. Among other incidents, at one point, while visiting Clinton in DC, Yeltsin turned up in his underwear on Pennsylvania Avenue, trying to hail cabs. He often appeared drunk in public. He also had strange behaviours, due to the fact that Kremlin doctors gave him "strong drugs" which were incompatible even with a little drop of alcohol. Ironically, after his resignation, he finally managed to become sober and solved his alcoholism problems.

Besides all these things, he also became known for his notorious alcoholism, which he struggled with. Among other incidents, at one point, while visiting Clinton in DC, Yeltsin turned up in his underwear on Pennsylvania Avenue, trying to hail cabs. He often appeared drunk in public. He also had strange behaviours, due to the fact that Kremlin doctors gave him "strong drugs" which were incompatible even with a little drop of alcohol. Ironically, after his resignation, he finally managed to become sober and solved his alcoholism problems.

[[caption-width-right:234:The man in one of his sober moments (we think). ]]

-->-- Comment during a visit to the United States, as quoted in The Independent (12 September 1989)

->''"Let's not talk about Communism. Communism was just an idea, just pie in the sky.''\\
-- Comment during a visit to the United States, as quoted in The Independent (12 September 1989)

->''"Let's [[LetUsNeverSpeakOfThisAgain not talk about Communism.]] Communism was just an idea, just pie in the sky.''\\

In 1993, he dissolved the parliament in order to solve his confrontations with the Supreme Soviet, which then tried to remove him from office. The army sided with Yeltsin, and shelled the Russian White House, causing the death of 187 people. He then scrapped the constitution and introduced one from scratch, with stronger presidential power, which was approved by a referendum. At the same time, he temporarily banned political opposition and deepened his economic experimentation (which, in hindsight, became almost a economic suicide).

[[caption-width-right:234:The man in one of his sober moments]]

->''Let's not talk about Communism. Communism was just an idea, just pie in the sky.''
-->-- Comment during a visit to the United States, as quoted in The Independent (12 September 1989)

During his second term (which started with a quintuple heart bypass surgery), Russia received the equivalent to 40 billion US dollars from the IMF, which were later allegedly stolen by some people of Yeltsin's circle and placed in foreign banks. However, in 1998, his government defaulted, the ruble collapsed. A year later, he survived another attempt of impeachment, and fired his prime minister Sergei Stepashin, and appointed to the job [[VladimirPutin a man who would become very, very, very popular.]]

Originally a supporter of MikhailGorbachev, he became then one of Gorbachev's most powerful political opponents during and after the Perestroika. He was elected to the newly created post of President of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (SFSR), which was one of the constituent republics of the Soviet Union. After the resignation of Gorbachev and the dissolution of the Soviet Union, he kept his job as President, now of the Russian Federation.

During his second term (which started with a quintuple heart bypass surgery), Russia received the equivalent to 40 billion US dollars from the IMF, which were later allegedly stolen by some people of Yeltsin's circle and placed in foreign banks. However, in 1998, his government defaulted, the ruble collapsed. A year later, he survived another attempt of impeachment, and fired his prime minister Sergei Stepashin, and appointed to the job [[VladimirPutin a man who would become very, very, ''very'' popular.]]

During his second term (which started with a quintuple heart bypass surgery), Russia received the equivalent to 40 billion US dollars from the IMF, which were later allegedly stolen by some people of Yeltsin's circle and placed in foreign banks. However, in 1998, his government defaulted, the ruble collapsed. A year later, he survived another attempt of impeachment, and fired his prime minister Sergei Stepashin, and appointed to the job [[VladimirPutin a man who would become very, very,]] ''[[VladimirPutin very]]'' [[VladimirPutin popular.]]

A year later, he ordered the invasion of Chechnya in order to restore Moscow's control over that republic. In 1996, a peace agreement was signed, leaving behind a devastated Chechnya still under separatist control (later it would become a major nest of terrorism and provoke another, successful pacification attempt by Putin).

During his second term (which started with a quintuple heart bypass surgery), Russia received the equivalent to 40 billion US dollars from the IMF, which were later allegedly stolen by some people of Yeltsin's circle and placed in foreign banks. However, in 1998, his government defaulted, the ruble collapsed. A year later, he survived another attempt of impeachment, and fired his prime minister Sergei Stepashin, and appointed to the job [[VladimirPutin a man who would become very, very, ''very'' popular.]]

A year later, he ordered the invasion of Chechnya in order to restore Moscow's control over that republic. In 1996, a peace agreement was signed, leaving behind a devastated Chechnya.

During his second term (which started with a quintuple heart bypass surgery), Russia received the equivalent to 40 billion US dollars from the IMF, which were later allegedly stolen by some people of Yeltsin's circle and placed in foreign banks. However, in 1998, his government defaulted, the ruble collapsed. A year later, he survived another attempt of impeachment, and fired his prime minister Sergei Stepashin, and appointed to the job [[VladimirPutin a man who would become very, very, '''very''' popular.]]

During his second term (which started with a quintuple heart bypass surgery), Russia received the equivalent to 40 billion US dollars from the IMF, which were later allegedly stolen by some people of Yeltsin's circle and placed in foreign banks. However, in 1998, his government defaulted, the ruble collapsed. A year later, he survived another attempt of impeachment, and fired his prime minister Sergei Stepashin, and appointed to the job [[VladimirPutin a man who would become very, very, ''very'' popular.]]

[quoteright:234:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/boris_yeltsin-2_8177.jpg]]

-->''Let's not talk about Communism. Communism was just an idea, just pie in the sky.''
--> Comment during a visit to the United States, as quoted in The Independent (12 September 1989)

-->''Let's not talk about Communism. Communism was just an idea, just pie in the sky.''\

Originally a supporter of MikhailGorbachev, he became then one of Gorbachev's most powerful political opponents in the during and after the Perestroika. He was elected to the newly created post of President of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (SFSR), which was one of the constituent republics of the Soviet Union. After the resignation of Gorbachev and the dissolution of the Soviet Union, he kept his job as President, now of the Russian Federation.

All these crisis, along with lack of international support (and US opposition) regarding Chechnya, caused him to do a surprise resignation in the last day of the last month of 1999. You know who came next.