Chechnya
The persecution, deportation and general abuse of those who call themselves Chechnyans, has been a heavy burden to bear over the last few centuries. Ethnically and religiously these people from the Caucasus are markedly different from their expansionist Russian neighbors. Centuries of miscommunication and aggressive policies in the heavily Islamic Caucasus have created a deep sense of mistrust and hatred amongst the two neighbors. This chasm that was created over two centuries ago has continuously worsened and has been the driving force in developing crime and terrorism within the Chechen people. The mountainous and harsh geography of Chechnya has been critical in instilling a sense of survival and strength within its people as the Chechens have resided in the region for around 6,000 years. Its central location within the Caucasus Mountains, in between the Black and Caspian Seas, made the area strategically important as it laid within the crossroads of Georgia, Dagestan and the Ottoman Empire in the south and Russia to the north. The rugged terrain and the firm basis in nomadic herding created a strong sense of independence within the Chechens. The location of Chechnya also played a key role as its proximity to the Musl
In retribution Yermolov sent his troops into areas were rebels operated and if the village did not hand over the culprits and their families the whole village was eliminated. They did not extend a hand of peace; instead they extended a thrusting fist into the mountains to show their power. The Russians thus induced the Chechens from the mountains to the plains and then pushed them out of the Terek and Sunzha Rivers. Here we see the emergence of the fairly liberal and music oriented Qadiriya brotherhood. German agents also dropped into the Caucasus in 1941 and 1942 in an attempt to stir Muslim aggression. By 1925 the independence of Chechnya and the rest of the Caucasus autonomous regions was in jeopardy as Moscow moved into crush the whole region under a firm rule without promising any special rights for the ethnic minorities. From 1917-1920 the new Mountain Republic faced many challenges, first the Whites and then the Red Army. In 1929 the Politburo used the North Caucasus as the first testing grounds for collectivization. The second round of deportations began in the 1850s, as Russia was victorious in the Crimean War and in implementing a Russian Highway through the heart of the Chechens homelands. His xenophobic, anti-Islamic and strong-handed tactics in cracking down on rebellious elements within his jurisdiction initiated a huge wave of anti-Russian feeling. This period of almost six decades was one of economic development, especially in oil, in Chechnya and a small elite began to grow in the region. After the defeat during the Caucasus war many Chechens and other Muslims of the region turned to another sect of Islam for guidance. Kulaks or rich landowners were the first to be targeted by collectivization but there was no such group within the heavily nomadic Chechens but the Reds still found 'kulaks' who were in need of reeducation and were deported to Siberia. This first episode of deportations, instigated by Yermolov's policies, was embedded within the Chechen psyche and the people of the Caucasus would never forget. The nest step in the developing animosity between Russia and Chechnya was the appointment of General Yermolov as Commander in Chief of Georgia from 1816-1827.
Common topics in this essay:
Ottoman Empire,
Cossacks Russian,
North Caucasus,
Ingush Chechen,
Chief Georgia,
Red Army,
Islamic Caucasus,
Bolshevik Russia,
Russian Cossack,
Chechens Mansur,
north caucasus,
red army,
throughout caucasus,
autonomous region,
caucasus war,
chechen people,
chechens arms,
mountain republic,
people caucasus,
fairly liberal,
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Acceptance Essays
