️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️ ️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️ Officially, their aim was to defend "perestroika" against reactionary elements within the state bureaucracy, but over time, they began to question the legitimacy of their republics' membership of the Soviet Union.<unk> Officially, their aim was to defend "perestroika" against reactionary elements within the state bureaucracy, but over time, they began to question the legitimacy of their republics' membership of the Soviet Union. It was their initially cautious tone that gave them considerable freedom to organize and to gain access to the mass media.<unk> It was their initially cautious tone that gave them considerable freedom to organize and to gain access to the mass media. In the Baltic republics, they soon became the dominant political force and gradually gained the initiative from the more radical dissident organizations established earlier by moving their republics towards greater autonomy and then independence. In the Baltic republics, they soon became the dominant political force and gradually gained the initiative from the more radical dissident organizations established earlier by moving their republics towards greater autonomy and then independence. <unk> <unk> <unk> <unk> <unk> ️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• In the other republics, such organizations existed but never posed a meaningful threat to the incumbent party and economic elites.