How Taking a Sick Leave Destroyed the Biggest Country in the World.

I got an interesting theory about August Coup that ended USSR. 

Quite possibly Gorbachev was indeed sick. After all, Yanayev and his committee did say he was sick and temporarily unavailable to fulfill his duties. Most consider this a lie, but it actual had a good chance of being true.

Before his vacation in Crimea, Gorbachev had a very intense negotiations with Yeltsin and the rest of the republican leaders. That could have left him exhausted and sick. It was well known that Gorbachev could not stand Yeltsin, yet circumstances forced them to work together. After stressful negotiations over the new Union Treaty, that lasted a lot longer that Gorbachev initially anticipated, he possibly fell sick and did not truly recover by the time of the official signing.

One day before the signing, Gorbachev's deputy had no other choice but to announce that Gorbachev is sick, and he will be taking over the power. However, Yanaev and the committee handled the issue in a such ham-fisted way, it left people puzzled.

Yeltsin then jumped the gun, described the whole thing a coup and call for people to gather around White House and defend democracy. People gather. Yanaev against better judgement called the tanks, just in case. That however only further convinced Yeltsin, crowds and the world that it is a coup.

In the end Yanaev backed down, and Gorbachev returned to vastly different situation from how he left it.

Never before taking a couple of days sick leave left such a dramatic impact on the global history.

Also, sometimes truth is so unbelievable, it cannot prevail.

Some lies so believable; they endure against all odds.