The fear of revolution might appear irrational, but the Kremlin courtiers know how a desperate stance of a small group of liberals could suddenly bring tens of thousands of protesters into Moscow’s streets.
Putin, meanwhile, apparently concerned about whether his order to use armed force against a new wave of protests would be followed, has placed his most trusted deputy in the position of power to execute such a command. This has aggrieved many other lieutenants, whose loyalty is a function of access to power convertible into cash flows. By upsetting this balance of power at the top, Putin likely also upset the balance of his fears; and the specter of a palace coup has grown scarier.
