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| July 30–31 |
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| In a summit meeting between President Gorbachev and President Bush, the USSR and the U.S. signed a Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), which committed each side to reducing its nuclear weapons by 30 percent. Meanwhile, the U.S. granted the USSR most-favored-nation status. | 1 |
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| Aug. 19 |
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| Conservatives attempted to depose Gorbachev in a three-day coup. The coup was strongly opposed by the prodemocratic forces led by Yeltsin. Opposition of the armed forces was a major reason for the failure of the coup. The Supreme Soviet suspended all activities of the Communist Party (Aug. 29), effectively dissolving it. | 2 |
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| Aug.–Sept |
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| Independence declarations: Estonia and Latvia declared their independence on Aug. 20 and 21, respectively. Soviet security forces and troops began to withdraw. The CPSU was banned in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. The RSFSR recognized Estonian and Latvian independence (Aug. 24). The State Council of the Soviet Union recognized the independence of the three Baltic republics (Sept. 6), and they were also admitted to the United Nations on Sept. 17. Moldova declared its independence on Aug. 27, which Romania recognized; Romania set up formal diplomatic relations with Moldova on Aug. 29. Azerbaijan declared its independence on Aug. 30. Uzbekistan declared its independence on Aug. 31 and changed its name to the Republic of Uzbekistan. Ukraine adopted an independence resolution on Aug. 24, pending a referendum on Dec. 1. The Belorussian Supreme Soviet voted to declare political and economic independence on Aug. 25 and changed its name to the Republic of Belarus. Tajikistan became the twelfth Soviet republic to declare its independence (Sept. 9); only the Russian Federation, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan had not done so. | 3 |
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| Oct. 11 |
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| The State Council decided to abolish the KGB (Committee for State Security) and to form instead units concerned with border defense, intelligence, and counterintelligence. | 4 |
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| Oct. 21 |
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| The first session of the new USSR Supreme Soviet was convened, but with only seven republics—the Russian Federation, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kirghizia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan. | 5 |
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| Nov. 4 |
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| The abolition of union ministries and the agreement to form a union of sovereign states. The State Council, attended by the leaders of all 12 republics except Moldova and Armenia, agreed on the abolition of all union ministries except those for the railway, atomic power, and electricity, as well as the defense and foreign affairs ministries. | 6 |
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| Dec. 21 |
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| The end of the Soviet Union and the formation of a Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Eleven of the former constituent republics of the Soviet Union (Georgia was absent) signed a protocol at Alma Ata on the formation of the CIS. This loose alliance had no central governing bodies, and the Russian Federation took over many of the functions of the former union. Gorbachev resigned as president of the Soviet Union on Dec. 25. | 7 |
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