President of the Soviet Union
Opposing the decentralisation stance taken in the treaty, Pavlov was one of the key players in the establishment of the State Committee for the State of Emergency in August 1991. Pavlov's inclusion in the committee has been used to demonstrate its unwillingness to revert to pre-Gorbachev policies. The Committee's main goal was to ensure that the Soviet Union continued as a highly centralised union state. The Emergency Committee was led by Gennady Yanayev, Vice President of the Soviet Union, Interior Minister Boris Pugo, Defence Minister Dmitry Yazov and other hardliners who were determined to take action to oust Gorbachev.