UNRAVELING THE TIES THAT DIVIDE - RUSSIAN POLITICAL SUCCESSION

This work presents a clear picture of the domestic transformation whic h has fallowed the breakup of the Soviet Union. It demonstrates that t he integrity of the Soviet Union was secondary to the integrity of Rus sia. The contest over economic reform was central in generating the Pa rliamentary Revolt in 1993 and in influencing the elections of 1996. H owever, it was only partially involved in the coup against Gorbachev i n 1991 and was secondary in the development of the succession crisis i n Chechnya. Yeltsin's political brilliance was in recognizing that sup port for reform by itself was insufficient to ensure the strength of t he Presidency or even his reelection. A nationalistic posture on Russi a did not contradict his anti-nationalistic stance toward the Soviet U nion. Our analysis shows that Yeltsin was able to strengthen the Presi dency and ensure political stability because he adroitly cultivated su pport along reformist and nationalistic dimensions.