First+Chechen+War

Logan Valtz Michael Losacco John Steigerwalt First Chechen War

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Chechnya, a province in southwest Russia, declared independence under Dzhokar Dudayev, on September 6, 1991. Dudayev was a former pilot of the Soviet Strategic Aviation, who flew nuclear bombers for many years. Dudayev’s declaration of independence in 1993 led to civil war and the republic of Chechnya. The Russian government supported attempts to overthrow the Dudayev, but tragically (<---This looks like you are taking a side in the conflict.) failed in 1993 and 1994. The republic of Chechnya had become a safe haven for organized crime, drug smuggling, and gun-running. Russia did not take action upon Chechnya until December 1994. The reason Russia invaded Chechnya was because Chechnya had accesses routs to both The Black Sea, and the Caspian Sea, also Chechnya had vital Russian oil and gas pipeline connections with Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan. In September 1994 Dudayev introduced a state of <???>

On December 10th, 1994, three brigades of Russian Armor, Pro-Russian Chechen Military, and Internal Security Troops began their invasion of Chechnya. The goal of the Russian Military was a quick victory, and restores the pro Russia government, but it soon turned out to be a nightmare of long and bloody battles, that would stretch for years. One of the biggest and bloodiest battles of the entire war was the battle of Grozny. Grozny was the capital of Chechnya and was Chechnya’s biggest city. Russians began their attack by heavy aerial bombardments and artillery strikes. These strikes completely leveled most of the cities buildings. After the winter air strike campaign, Russian troops began to enter the city and occupy it. According to some press reports there were about 4,000 detonations an hour at the height of the battle.

Soon, Chechen Militants were being pushed farther away from the cities center, and began to resort to Guerilla warfare. Chechen rebels soon realized that conventional tactics were not going to be affective any longer and had to resort to guerilla warfare. Some tactics that were used during the Battle of Groznyy were ambushes, traps, snipers, and etc… Some examples of ambushes were luring tanks and APC’s into narrow ally ways, so that the rebels could use RPG’s, hand grenades, and anti-tank weapons to create a trap by destroying the first and last vehicle. Snipers were also used heavily to assignation higher Russian command and destroy the morale of the Russian military. Technology was a main factor of the First Chechen War. During the First Chechen War many different and new weapons were used in battle. Weapons included the RPG-7, AK-74, AK-47, APCs, and T-26 tanks.

On July 30, 1995, the Chechnya Government signed a military protocol that included the calling for a cease-fire, the disarming of rebel formations, and the withdrawal of federal troops for the exchange of prisoners. Yet this protocol took time and eventually took a halt in the fall of 1995 because of the attempted assassination of General Romanov who was the former commander of the federal forces in Chechnya. The Moscow peace treaty was signed in mid November 1996 by Yeltsin and Maskhadov. The treaty stated that the Russians had to pay reparations to the Chechens for the war.T he Moscow peace treaty did not last long because in 1999 the Russian’s invaded Chechnya again. On April 21, 1996 a shell fragment that struck Dzhokar in the head, and lethally wounded President Dzhokar Dudayev. It’s believed that President Dudayev was targeted by some kind of air-to-ground missile, although Russia denied the allegations. According to reports President Dudayev was targeted by the signal of his satellite telephone, and Russian forces routinely called in air and ground missile strikes on locations of satellites telephone operations. President Dudayev died shortly after his injury. At the end of the First Chechen War an estimation of over 3,800 Russian Armed Forces were killed while an estimation of over 17,800 were wounded, and approximately 1900 Russian soldiers were missing in action. For Chechnya the estimated amount of causalities were over 100,000 soldiers and civilians. With all the statistics from above, the First Chechen War brings the total number causalities to over an estimated amount of 122,700 soldiers and civilians. 1 2

This is an image of a Chechen solider overlooking the destroyed Presidential Palace in Grozny, Chechnya, in January of 1995. This image was found on Wikipedia.

This is an image of tanks driving though the mountain areas of Chechnya in 1995. This image was found on [|Wikipedia]. This is an image of a Russian [|Mil Mi-8] helicopter landing near the capital of Chechnya, Grozny, in December of 1994. This is image is found on [|Wikipedia].

[1 1   (Global Security) "First Chechnya War - 1994-1996." //Global Security//. Global Security. Web. 30 Sept. 2009. < [] >.

2 ISKHANOV, HUSEIN. "General Aslan Maskhadov’s ADC during the 1994-6 war Elected deputy to the Chechen Parliament in 1997 Presently ADC to the Chief of Staff, Mumadi Saidaev Interview: June 1999." //General Aslan Maskhadov’s ADC during the 1994-6 war Elected deputy to the Chechen Parliament in 1997 Presently ADC to the Chief of Staff, Mumadi Saidaev Interview: June 1999//. Web. 30 Sept. 2009. < [] >.