Russia and Chechnya in the 20th Century

A Brief History of the Political and Military Conflicts

Aug 5, 2009

Tensions between Russia and Chechnya had been present before and during the 20th century, escalating into a bloody and brutal war in 1994 which shocked the Western world.

In the past Chechnya has fought many times with Russia for its independence and Russia has fought back. Although independence seemed likely after the collapse of Communism, just three years later they were at war.

Chechnya During the Russian Revolution 1917

Like many other nations and territories in Imperial Russia, the 1917 Bolshevik revolution brought freedom from Tsarist rule to Chechnya. As a predominately Islamic people, the Chechens’ culture, religion and language were repressed under years of Russian dominance. However this freedom was short lived; by 1922 Chechnya was back under Russian rule.

Chechnya Under Stalin’s Dictatorship

Before 1934, Chechnya had the status of being the sole titular nationality in its own Autonomous Region. In 1936, Chechnya was merged with the neighbouring Ingush region into a singular Autonomous Republic, or ASSR. An ASSR was defined as an area of national minority but not a big enough territory to be designated as an SSR.

Chechnya During the Second World War

During Nazi Germany’s invasion Chechnya was occupied. In 1944 Stalin accused the Chechen-Ingush region of collaboration with the enemy and ordered the entire population to be exiled. A significant number died en route and an even higher number died whilst in exile, this move was considered unforgiveable by the Chechens.

Nikita Khrushchev Comes to Power

It was only in 1957, with Stalin dead and Khrushchev denouncing much of his predecessors’ policies, when the Chechens returned home. After a long thirteen years in exile the Chechens were even more determined to break free of Russian dominance and be granted independence.

Chechnya and the Collapse of Communism

As the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991 and all the former Soviet states declared their independence so did Chechnya. However as countries like Lithuania, Latvia, Poland were recognised as independent countries, Chechnya was still considered a territory of Russia. However, an ex-Soviet Air Force General Dzakhar Dudaev, leader of the Chechen All-National Congress called a Presidential election, and won.

Chechnya and Post-Soviet Russia

Although Boris Yeltsin’s appointment as President of Russia initially looked promising for Chechen independence, his stance was soon made clear when he issued an arrest warrant for Dudaev. However Russian troops failed a big humiliation when they arrived at Grozny airport and were blocked by Dudaev’s guards. The incident did much to strengthen Dudaev’s popularity and anti-Russian stance.

The 1994 War in Chechnya

Tension continued between Russian and Chechnya, firstly on the political level: there was a continuing power struggle between Yeltsin and the Speaker of the Russian Parliament, Ruslan Khasbulatov, an ethnic Chechen. Despite the Kremlin financially aiding Chechen groups opposed to Dudaev, this tactic also failed, tension escalated and towards the end of 1994 Russia launched a big military invasion of Chechnya. The Russians guessed that a display of their military might and firepower would subdue the Chechens’ to conform to Russian rule. However this was not the case as the Chechens fought back and after massive casualties and near complete destruction of Grozny, the war ended in 1996. The number of deaths varies widely for this conflict; there is no doubt that a high number of civilians were killed unnecessarily. There were many claims of atrocities and human rights abuses on both sides. The war was very damaging for Russia on an international level as graphic images and reports from Chechnya were featured in Western media.

The Second War in Chechnya, 1999

After the war there was a spate of terrorist attacks in Russia, particularly in the cities, in which a number of civilians were killed. Chechen separatists were immediately blamed for these, and in 1999 the Russian army mounted another attack in Chechnya. This war ceased in 2000 after more high numbers of casualties, destruction of homes and reports of atrocities. Russian forces have remained there until very recently to restore order to the region, as its economy was devastated and lawlessness was prominent.

Bremmer, I. Taras, R. (eds) Nations and Politics in the Soviet Successor States. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1993.

Seely, R. Russo-Chechen Conflict 1800-2000: A Deadly Embrace. London: Routledge, 2001.

The copyright of the article Russia and Chechnya in the 20th Century in Russian/Ukrainian/Belarus History is owned by Fiona Allison. Permission to republish Russia and Chechnya in the 20th Century in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.