G or un ia ▁and ▁T z olo ▁K raste v , ▁began ▁to ▁plot ▁against ▁Zh iv kov . ▁The ▁consp ir ators ▁were ▁hard line ▁commun ists , ▁influenced ▁by ▁Ma o ▁Z ed ong ▁of ▁China , ▁who ▁den ounced ▁the ▁leadership ▁of ▁the ▁Commun ist ▁Party ▁for ▁having ▁become ▁" o pport un ists " ▁and ▁for ▁following ▁the ▁" re vision ist " ▁Soviet ▁leader , ▁Nik ita ▁K hr ush chev . ▁Although ▁K hr ush chev ▁was ▁removed ▁on ▁ 1 4 ▁October , ▁the ▁consp ir ators ▁aim ed ▁at ▁establish ing ▁a ▁more ▁Marx ist - Len in ist ▁Bulg aria ▁and ▁to ▁less en ▁its ▁sub ser vi ence ▁to ▁the ▁USS R . ▁Several ▁dozen ▁officers ▁joined , ▁including ▁the ▁commander ▁of ▁the ▁Sof ia ▁g arrison ▁General ▁T sv y at ko ▁A ne v ; ▁the ▁head ▁of ▁the ▁personal ▁cabinet ▁of ▁the ▁М in ister ▁of ▁Def ence , ▁Colonel ▁Ivan ▁Vel chev ; ▁the ▁deput y ▁chief ▁of ▁the ▁М ain ▁Political ▁Director ate ▁of ▁the ▁Bulgar ian ▁People ' s ▁Army ▁General ▁М ich o ▁Er men kov ; ▁and ▁the ▁chief ▁of ▁department ▁at ▁the ▁General ▁Staff , ▁General ▁Ly uben ▁Din ov . ▁ ▁The ▁plan ▁was ▁to ▁execute ▁the ▁coup ▁with ▁the ▁aid ▁of ▁the ▁Bulgar ian ▁People ' s ▁Army ▁during ▁the ▁pl enum ▁of ▁the ▁Central ▁Committee ▁of ▁the ▁B CP . ▁They ▁planned ▁to ▁use ▁the ▁tank ▁brig ade ▁based ▁around