The first and second Chechen Wars

Introduction

With the end of Cold War, one of the superpowers – the Soviet Union lost its power and the USSR was dismantled. However, it did not stop Russia’s power. Russia’s government was not happy when retired Soviet Air Force general major Dzhochar Dudajev, a president of Chechnya, proclaimed the independence of Chechnya in 1999 (Knezys & Sedlickas, 1999, pp.15). It was in Russia’s national interest to maintain the dominant player in the ‘Near Abroad’ and maintain an influence. (Russell, 2007, 51) Chechnya’s surroundings were ‘an endless space of hills dressed in woods’ (Mikhailov, 2005, pp.48). There was found oil, which quality was so good that petrol could be produced using primitive equipment (Mikhailov, 2005, pp.62). Due to these facts, Russia thought that Chechen had to be a part of Russia. Regarding to this interest nations had confrontation. Consequently, this essay will be about two Chechens-Russian wars.

The first war

The relations between Russia and Chechnya were becoming more and more dramatic in 1994. Between September and November two social-political clans were fighting for power, one of them was supported by the Kremlin, but after Russian intervention it was transformed from a civil war into a Russian-Chechen war (Gakaev, 2005, pp.27). It happened on the 11th of December, 1994, when Russian Defence and Interior Ministry forces invaded Groznyy, the capital of Chechnya, and began the first Russian-Chechen war (Hansen & Seely, 1996, pp.11). Although Russia was preparing for this war: created new organizations, organized strategies, bought equipment, medical supplies etc., Russia’s military plan lacked the reality: solders were not prepared to fight. Even Russian defence minister confirmed that the Russian Army was unprepared for combat actions (Knezys & Sedlickas, 1999, pp.57). As a result, Russia lost this fight. Chechens’ tactics, which was simple but effective, led