Here are five (of many) things that we can learn from Chechnya’s guerrilla wars:
1) And as we ponder why the Russians failed in the ’94-’96 conflict in Chechnya, the first thing to understand is the high level of Chechen nationalism. Their fighters knew exactly what they were fighting for. According to one historian, “The memory of the deportation became the central defining event in modern Chechen history.” The wholesale slaughter and foreign distribution of the Chechen people at the hands of the Russians was the rallying cry. Nationalism on all fronts, not Islamic ideology, was the primary motivator. In the words of a Chechen leader, “This isn’t an army. It’s the whole Chechen people that is fighting.” The heavy-handed tactics that resulted in civilian casualties during the First Chechen War even united Chechens who wanted to remain a part of Russia, with their separatist counterparts. (There were more Russian inhabitants in Grozy than Chechen; a fact overlooked by Russian Intelligence. Someone failed at IPB. One of the first rules of counterinsurgency is to not make unnecessary enemies.) Civilian casualties in warfare almost always result in a recruitment tool for the defenders. It was a heaping spoonful of hatred for the Soviets and Russians that truly united Chechnya.
2) After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Chechen people understood that they had an unique opportunity in history to reclaim their independence. But the United States, France, Great Britain and several other nations would not recognize Chechnya’s independence. Chechnya’s neighbors in the region didn’t lend a hand; no logistical or materiel support to the newest, oldest nation in the region because they feared Russian retaliation. Chechnya did indeed achieve de facto independence, although it was lost several years later.
Excellent Piece. Many lessons here. As the author illustrates, it is really tough to fight dedicated insurgents on their home turf. As the Chechen Rebels and Montenegro Moslem insurgents will tell you, Balkanization works a lot better when friendly foreign powers supply arms and money