The unsuccessful August 1991 coup against Gorbachev sealed the fate of the Soviet Union. Planned by hard-line Communists, the coup diminished Gorbachev's power and propelled Yeltsin and the democratic forces to the forefront of Soviet and Russian politics.
Citizens may own property under communism, but not under socialism, or under socialism, businesses seek to earn profits, buy under communism they seek to meet people's needs.
