Regime insider conspirators and elite dissidents are always a political bridge to a new regime they never intend. The Abwehr and July 20 conspirators, had they succeeded in 1938 or 1944, would have lost control of the political splintering process they triggered. Suppose Putin is assassinated or dethroned in an FSB or SVR coup that shoots down all his Chechen pretorian guards in the President Hotel across the street from the Kremlin. The resulting political whirlwind and secession cascade will overwhelm them just like Kerensky was swept aside by a revolutionary tide. It’ll be deja vu all over again.