The Chechen Wars

1. The Chechen Wars:
A Brief History
•Russia •Chechnya

2. Where is Chechnya?
Source: Wikipedia.com

3. A Violent History
•First Chechen War:
1994-1996
–Result: Chechnya’s
de facto
independence from
Russia
–Casualty estimates
range from 50,000 to
100,000
Photo by Mikhail Evstafiev

4. A Violent History
•Second Chechen War:
1999-2002
–Triggered by the
Dagestan War (1999)
and the Russian
apartment bombings
–Military casualty
estimates range from
5,000-11,000
–Civilian casualty
estimates range from
15,000 to 25,000+
Source: Kavkaz Center

5. Involved Parties
•Russian Federation
–80% ethnic Russians
–Russian Orthodoxy is
dominant religion
•Republic of
Chechnya
–1.1 million residents
(2004)
–Population is 94%
Chechen; most of
whom are Sunni
Muslims

6. Non-Combatants
•Anna Politkovskaya
–Slain Russian
journalist and human
rights activist known
for her reporting on
and opposition to
Chechen Wars
Photo Source Unknown

7. Non-Combatants
•Aleksandr Litvinenko
–Former KGB agent
and Russian
intelligence officer
known for his
opposition to the
Chechen Wars
–Exiled to London and
later poisoned
Photo Source Unknown

8. Hostage Crises
•Moscow Theatre
–Oct. 23, 2002
–Chechen separatist militants take 850
hostage during a sold out performance
–2 ½ day siege; theatre gassed by Russian
Special Forces in effort to quell hostage-
takers
–129 hostages & 33 terrorists killed

9. Hostage Crises
•Beslan
–Sept. 1, 2004
–Islamic rebels took 1,200 hostage inside a
school in Beslan, North Ossetia
–Russians stormed school; response was
later criticized as disorganized
–334 civilians killed, including 186 school
children