The Chechen Wars: Will Russia Go the Way of the Soviet Union

(Paperback)

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Russia's brutal suppression of the Chechen revolts of the 1990s raised many questions about the nature of the Soviet Union's primary successor state. Both Russian presidents, Boris Yeltsin and Vladimir Putin, have justified their invasions of Chechnya as necessary to prevent a breakup of the Russian Federation. In the wake of September 11th 2001, Moscow has emphasized its characterization of the war as an "anti-terrorist operation" in an effort to deflect criticisms of the widespread human rights abuses and atrocities that have accompanied its military occupation. In this text, Evangelista challenges Moscow's justifications for the Chechen invasions by exploring the sources of both wars and the implications for Russia's internal coherence and international standing. Evangelista draws on a wide range of sources to reconstruct the complicated origins of Chechnya's conflicts with Moscow and trace the courses of action that led to all-out Russian invasions in 1994 and 1999. He identifies the complex struggles over political power and strategic resources as the sources of both wars, not the threat that Chechen separatism would lead to Soviet-style disintegration of the country.

Reviews

"It is... well researched, drawing on both a sizeable secondary literature and numerous Russian language sources.... his arguments are convincing and any who believe that Russia under Putin is still on a reform path or moving towards democracy must engage with the points raised in this work, as the war in Chechnya remains central to the development of post-communist Russia." Paul Kubicek, Oakland University, International Affairs, 1/1/2004

"... provides a fascinating and well structured picture of the background for and events leading up to the two wars. Evangelista's work should be required reading for anyone with an interest in Russia and its relationships with its federal partners.... This is an important book, and makes a significant contribution to the limited library of literature on Chechnya.... It is not only for experts, even those who have a very limited knowledge of the situation will be enlightened by it." Graham Dyson, Centre for Peacebuilding and Conflict, International Journal on World Peace, 12/1/2003

"[letter to editor]" Matthew Evangelista, Foreign Affairs, 5/1/2003

"[Evangelista] offers one of the few original, systematic discussions of a question that has attracted mostly sloganeering from both supporters and opponents of Chechen independence." Lawrence A. Uzzell, Chechnya Weekly, 2/20/2003

"A close, meticulous study of the root causes of the Chechen Wars of 1994 and 1999, and an informative, scholarly examination of the impact these conflicts had on both Chechnya and Russia." The Bookwatch, 4/1/2003

"Evangelista provides a clear, focused analysis of Russia's ongoing war in Chechnya -- why the two wars were launched (in 1994 and 1999) and what they imply for the Russian political system as a whole." P. Rutland, Wesleyan University, Choice

"[An] impressive new book.... a compelling synthesis of new insights from Russian soldiers, scholars, and policymakers." Charles King, Georgetown University, Foreign Affairs, 3/1/2003

Author Bio

Matthew Evangelista is professor of government and director of the Peace Studies Program at Cornell University. He is the author of the award-winning Unarmed Forces: The Transnational Movement to End the Cold War (Cornell University Press).