Some people have commented on Yeltsin this way, saying that he is the one who will tilt the edifice of the former Soviet Union and push it up, and that he is a person who is bent on defecting to the West and completely Westernizing reforms that have made Russia a mess. Objectively speaking, this assessment is not unreasonable. However, it is such a person who has made a shocking move that makes Russia and even the world sigh!
That was on December 31, 1999, the day of the transition between the old and new centuries, when Yeltsin announced that all presidential powers, including the "nuclear key" to Russia's strategic nuclear forces, would be handed over to Putin, then-Russian Prime Minister.
As we all know, Yeltsin was a man of power, otherwise how could he have done something to overthrow the Soviet regime and force his benefactor to give way? However, it is puzzling why Yeltsin, who still controls the power of Russia, hastened to retreat in a hurry and give way to Putin.
By this time, Yeltsin had been in control of Russia for nine years. But sadly, there was no political achievement to speak of, but it brought the whole of Russia into chaos, the economy collapsed, the people's hearts floated, the country was on the verge of disintegration, coupled with the corruption of the family, Yeltsin's support rate declined day by day. At this time, Yeltsin knew that if he continued to hold on like this, he would not have a good result, so all kinds of scruples and worries haunted his heart.
Yeltsin knew that russia's reforms had failed terribly and that he could not escape his responsibility.
In fact, Russia, which came to Yeltsin's hands, was in disarray. Inflation is difficult to suppress, unemployment remains high, economic development is struggling, and public resentment is boiling. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Western countries showed no mercy to Russia, the crisis of independence in Chechnya remained unresolved, and other separatist forces were also eager to move.
Yeltsin was bent on making Russia a country like the United States, regardless of the national conditions. Therefore, all-round imitation of the West, even such a major event as economic reform has been handed over to Western economists. I hope to quickly become a country that is "free and democratic and rich and strong". And the prescription prescribed by these Western experts is "shock therapy".
This law is a set of measures proposed by the American economist Jeffrey Sachs in response to the problem of the Bolivian economic crisis, including economic liberalization, economic privatization, economic stabilization and austerity of financial and fiscal policies, so it will have a huge impact on economic life, and even "shock", hence the name of "shock therapy".
"Shock therapy" allowed Russia to quickly move from a fully planned economy to a full-fledged market economy. This has brought unprecedented turmoil to the country. Prices soared, rubles were like paper, finances collapsed, crises were frequent, people's living standards fell to a freezing point, and people's discontent was high.
At the same time that Russia's economy collapsed completely, Yeltsin lost control of the mainstream media. Most of these media are controlled by Western financial capital. They orchestrated Russia and the ruble, and soon the news, which was indistinguishable from true to false, caused panic among the people. People dumped stocks, Western financial capital harvested at low prices, and as a result, Russia's high-quality state-owned assets flowed into the hands of oligarchs. Yeltsin, on the other hand, was helpless.
At the same time, Yeltsin, under the inducement of the West, took the initiative to destroy a large number of strategic weapons inherited from the Soviet Union, including strategic bombers, nuclear submarines, and nuclear weapons, on a large scale. Americans were also invited to Russia to help dismantle it in order to speed up the destruction process. There was even a strange phenomenon of privately selling a large number of weapons and equipment for the sake of the officers of life.
After the outbreak of the Kosovo War, Yeltsin woke up like a dream and understood that the Americans had pit themselves not shallow.
In the face of chaos, The powerful Yeltsin had nothing to do. But he knew very well that if he continued like this, Russia would be destroyed at his own hands, and in view of this, Yeltsin was eager to find a reliable successor to save Russia and save himself.
Although Yeltsin's ability to govern the country is extremely limited, he is still self-aware, and he is transparent in his heart, and the Russian people are not only dissatisfied with their own messing up Russia, but also criticize his family corruption. This is also one of the important reasons that prompted him to give way to Putin.
Under Yeltsin's power, the Yeltsin family extended its hand to various large enterprises in Russia and became a super-rich family in Russia. The family's corruption has seriously damaged Yeltsin's prestige, and the people have pointed fingers at it, and the support rate has dropped again and again. The Russian people even secretly looked forward to who would overthrow Yeltsin.
Yeltsin already felt the smell of being liquidated, and there was such a tradition in the Soviet period that he was not even as good as Gorbachev, let alone enjoy his old age, I am afraid that even his life would be difficult to save. Because Yeltsin understood that if this continues, the responsibility for family corruption, the guilt for the failure of reform, and the crime of Russia's imminent division will be doomed to himself and his entire family.
What to do? Yeltsin chose to abdicate the throne and let the rapids retreat, making plans for himself and his family in the future.
So Yeltsin changed five prime ministers in succession to choose his successor, and the result was a great disappointment to him. Just when he was anxious about this, Putin came into his sight.
Putin's series of performances as Russian prime minister satisfied Yeltsin, especially in the Chechen war, when Putin came to the fore and handed in qualified answers. Yeltsin was pleased, and the Russian people also cast a look of concern and recognition.
In Yeltsin's mind, Putin was the man he was looking for, so he decided to give way to Putin.
The first thing Putin did after seizing power in Russia was to issue the "Order on Providing Legal Protection to the President of the Russian Federation and His Family Members who Stopped Exercising His Powers", which legally guaranteed the safety of Yeltsin and his family members in his old age and avoided being liquidated in the future.
In addition to the above, what prompted Yeltsin to give way to the throne was his deteriorating physical condition.
During His time in office, Yeltsin was hospitalized several times for heart disease. After being re-elected, he also underwent cardiac bypass surgery, and it can be said that his health was deteriorating, his heart was weak, and his face was often haggard in public.
In fact, Yeltsin not only had heart disease, but also often patronized hospitals for pneumonia, colds, stomach ulcers, etc., which attracted the ridicule and attention of the Russian people. Yeltsin knew that his body was no longer suitable for the position of President of Russia, and he no longer had the energy to turn russia around.
But Yeltsin, in a position of power, knew he needed the ability to lead Russia out of its predicament and lead russia to a leader of light, not a politician obsessed with power and political vision.
Putin, Yeltsin did not choose the wrong choice, but as he expected, after his abdication and relinquishment, Putin gave him the best life. At the same time, it has also regained Russia's former glory, cracked down on the "oligarchs" with a sharp and tough momentum at home, revitalized the national economy, and showed no weakness to the outside world, so that Russia has the dignity of a big country.
From this point of view, Yeltsin really did not dare to compliment the country, but he did have a unique vision in understanding and employing people, especially at a critical juncture, he was able to give way to the right to select and use the talents, which is not something that anyone can do. From this point of view, Yeltsin is still a politician, a man of understanding!