The years following the breakup of the Soviet Union saw a great deal of unrest in many of the former Soviet states.  This problem was particularly acute in the southern and Caucasian republics where local governments wanted independence from Russia.  If the state had a stable government then independence was usually granted, but in some states violence and banditry were so rampant that granting them independence would be seen as giving in to terrorists, criminals, and extremists.

 Chechnya was one of those states overrun in criminal activity and violence.  It also was a haven for many Islamic militants and terrorists.  For this reason the Russian military began its first intervention to stabilize the state and eliminate the renegade elements operating within it.  This campaign was poorly conducted and resulted in heavy losses and an unstable peace.  The Chechen state was given limited autonomy and Russian armed forces were withdrawn.

Conditions did not improve in Chechnya in the years that followed.  It remained a lawless state where kidnappings for ransom were common.  To make matters worse, the state became a haven for Islamic terrorists (in some cases backed by Osama bin Ladin's Al Qaeda group) intent on spreading their Jihad to neighboring Dagestan and Ingushetia.  

These terrorists soon began slipping across the Chechen border to incite their Islamic revolution in those neighboring states.  The Russian government decided to move to stop the unrest.  This second campaign would be a slower, more deliberate advance that relied heavily on envelopments and artillery.  Despite criticism about 'human rights violations' from Western nations, this campaign would ultimately be successful in breaking the Islamic terrorists hold on Chechnya.

This section will focus on the history of the Russian military interventions in Chechnya.  It will also detail the costs of the war in men and equipment.  Click below to learn more.