The Chechnya's Independence Movements

Russia recognized a total of 39 nationalities; many of which were eager to escape from Russian control. At the time, independence movements were becoming more popular because Russia was not as forceful in ending the movements as the Soviet Union had once been. One country that caused trouble was Chechnya. Taking a look at their history, Chechnya was brought under Russian control after a 50 year fight which took place during the 19th century. A year after the collapse of the Soviet Union, in 1991, Dzhokhar Dudayev, Chechen leader, declared independence. The Chechens were predominantly Muslim, in contrast to the Russians who were Orthodox Christians. The Chechens also spoke a different language and practiced their own distinctive social customs.