The political maneuver that ended the rule of Mikhail Gorbachev in the Soviet Union was the coup attempt in August 1991. Hardliner factions within the Communist Party opposed Gorbachev's reforms, such as perestroika (restructuring) and glasnost (openness), which aimed to democratize and revitalize the Soviet economy. They staged a coup while Gorbachev was on vacation. Although the coup ultimately failed thanks to public resistance, it significantly weakened Gorbachev’s authority. Shortly after, Boris Yeltsin emerged as a prominent leader, and Russia declared independence from the Soviet Union, leading to its dissolution later that year.