Chechen resistance to Russian domination dates back to the last century. The Chechens, under the leadership of national hero Shamil, held out against tsarist Russia in a war that lasted from 1817 to 1864.
Methods for keeping Chechnya in check during the Soviet era were more effective. In 1944 Stalin accused the Chechen people of collaboration with the Nazis and exiled THEM ALL in a matter of days to Kazahkstan. Soviet citizens of other nationalities were moved in to replace them. It was only in 1957, during Kruschev's time, when the Chechens slowly began to migrate back to their homeland.
With the breakup of the Soviet Union, Chechnya (pop. 1.3 million, 75% Chechen) elected its first president, Jokhar Dudayev, in October 1991. His election and declaration of Chechnya's independence from the Russia Federation received surprisingly little response from the Kremlin. The response came in late 1994 as Yeltsin began to hint at an armed solution to the situation. In December, Russian defense minister, Pavel Grachev, boasted that he would need two hours and one division of storm troopers to take Chechnya's capital, Grozny. The attack began on New Year's eve and is now in its second year.
Yeltsin's attempt at a peaceful solution came in May, 1996, just prior to the first round of the Russian presidential elections, when he ordered a unilateral ceasefire and the beginning of negotiations.
Russia resumed the war two months later, three days after the election's second round results were announced. The death toll to that date from the war is estimated at 10,000 to 15,000 Russian soldiers and 40,000 to 60,000 Chechens.
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