Chechnya—Preliminary Results

Abstract

The war ended as suddenly as it began. In December 1994, despite the government's aggressive declarations, few believed that the Kremlin would undertake any serious action. The hopelessness of a military solution was too obvious. But the war began, catching public opinion unawares. Neither protests from the intelligentsia, including government supporters, nor criticism in the State Duma, nor the activities of soldiers' mothers, stopped the military action. But just when it had become obvious to everyone that nothing could be done, Sh[amil] Basaev and hundreds of warriors forced their way into Budennovsk, ana—after breaking all the political, ethical, and even propaganda rules—stopped the war. Then, after everyone breathed a sigh of relief, when even the authorities acknowledged that there was no sense in continuing the war, it was resumed.