The methods that Russia has used to deal with the break-away Republic of Chechnya has caught the eye of the world media, and not without good cause. This dynamic portion of the former Soviet Union is seen as a predecessor of things to come from other pieces of the dead communist giant. So many different peoples and cultures were pulled into the grasp of Russia for economic or tactical reasons. Now that Russia is waning in power, these peoples may chose to seize the opportunity to regain their independence, hundreds of years lost in some cases, and reestablish their own ethnic identity.
             As we will see, Chechnya's history with Russia and the Soviet Union is a long and checkered past. The Chechen people suffered numerous degradations and humiliations at the hands of their conquerors. Throughout their history the Chechens have attempted in some form to resist the Russians, but time and time again, the Russians held them down to have access to what they perceived as a key piece of land. It would be absurd to say that the sole reason for the Russian invasions of Chechnya, both past and present, were solely based on economic reasons, but it will not be difficult to prove that they were strongly motivated by them.
             To begin we must go back to a time before the Chechen people and the Russians ever met. The land of the Caucasus Mountains has classically been considered the natural border dividing Europe from Asia. The Caucasus extend across an isthmus separating the Caspian and the Black Seas. The range extends 650 miles, 400 of which are truly mountainous; the parts most suited for traversing being on the eastern side near the Caspian coast, and the Daryal Pass.
             The Chechen people, who call themselves Nokhchii, have lived on or near their present territory for around 6,000 years. This area is a rough quadrangle, blocked by the Terek and Sunzha Rivers to the west and north, the Andi Mountains in the east and the Caucasus to the south. ...