1995. Chechnya. The First Chechen War.
"A Chechen stands in the street during the battle for Grozny in January 1995" by Mikhail Evstafiev under CC BY-SA 3.0
The First Chechnya War began in December 1994 when Russian troops invaded the breakaway region of Chechnya. The conflict was a result of the fall of the Soviet Union, which caused a power vacuum in Chechnya. Chechnya declared its independence in 1991, and the Russian government did not recognize it. Chechen leader Dzhokhar Dudayev established an independent republic, and the Russian government launched a military campaign to regain control of the region.
The conflict was brutal, with reports of atrocities committed by both sides. The Russian government claimed that they were fighting terrorists, while Chechen separatists claimed that they were fighting for their independence. Russian forces used heavy artillery and airpower to bombard the Chechen capital, Grozny, causing massive destruction and many civilian casualties. The fighting continued for nearly two years, with both sides committing war crimes.
Human rights organizations documented numerous abuses committed by Russian forces, including torture, rape, and summary executions. The war led to the displacement of hundreds of thousands of civilians and caused widespread suffering. In February 1995, a Russian human rights panel reported that nearly 25,000 civilians died in the siege of Grozny alone.
"A Chechen fighter runs past a burnt Russian armored personnel vehicle (BMP-2) during the battle for Grozny in January 1995" by Mikhail Evstafiev under CC BY-SA 2.5 and CC BY-SA 3.0
The conflict also had international implications, with some observers seeing it as a clash of civilizations between Islam and Christianity. The United States chose to stay out of the conflict, which was seen as an internal matter for Russia. However, Russia's actions drew condemnation from human rights organizations and many Western governments.
The war officially ended in August 1996, with the signing of the Khasavyurt Accord. The agreement established a ceasefire and called for negotiations on the status of Chechnya. However, the peace was short-lived, and the conflict flared up again in 1999, leading to a second Chechen War.
Written in part in collaboration with ChatGPT on March 22, 2023
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Sources for 1995. Chechnya. The First Chechnya War:
The Clash of Civilizations? - Foreign Affairs June 1, 1993
Yeltsin begins to lose war of words over Chechnya - The Guardian December 18, 1994
The World; U.S. Stays Aloof From Russia's War Within - The New York Times December 25, 1994
The World; Defying the Skies in Chechnya - The New York Times December 25, 1994
BRUTAL IMAGES OF CHECHNYA'S WAR - The Washington Post January 4, 1995
Russians Shell Chechen Capital; Palace Rocketed - Los Angeles Times January 6, 1995
Russia's War in Chechnya: Victims Speak Out - Human Rights Watch January 15, 1995
Grozny palace falls to Russians - Independent January 20, 1995
Russians Shell Chechen Positions; Dudayev Says No More POW Releases - AP News January 24, 1995
RUSSIANS ACCUSED OF ATROCITIES - The Washington Post January 30, 1995
From Chechen War, Stories of Brutality - SFGate February 18, 1995
Reports of Russian Abuses Mount in Chechnya War - The Christian Science Monitor February 13, 1995
Three Months of War in Chechnya - Human Rights Watch February 19, 1995
Civilians Targeted - Humanitarian Law Flouted in Chechnya - April 19, 1996
Background - Human Rights Watch October 3, 1996
6 Red Cross workers slain at Chechen hospital - CNN December 17, 1996
Journey Into Hell: A Reporter Remembers Moscow's Assault On Grozny In 1995 - RFERL January 5, 2020