PRESENTATION OF CHECHNYA
By Andrew Andersen
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Anti-communist cartoon mocking Russian Bolshevik Revolution and
its leader Vladimir Lenin
Flag of North Caucasian Federation (1918-1919)
Sheikh Uzun Haji (1919)
Flag of North Caucasian Emirate (1919-1920)
Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin (1924-1953)
Chechen
volunteer of “Bergkaukasien Legion” (1942)
Click here to read the
articles on Chechnya from YETT
(Young Experts’ Think Tank) Chechnya |
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FROM
RUSSIAN EMPIRE TO THE USSR: 1914-1989
The Bolshevik revolution of 1917 in Russia and the disintegration of Russian Empire revived the hopes of the minorities to restore their once lost statehood. As a result, dozens of “independent sovereign states” were proclaimed during the first year after the fall of the empire The Caucasus was not an
exception. On April 22, 1918 “Independent
Democratic Federal Republic of Transcaucasia” was proclaimed in Tbilisi (34
days later that loose federation disintegrated further into Georgia, Armenia
and Azerbaijan ). On May 11, 1918 “Federal Republic of the Mountaineers of
North Caucasia and Daghestan” was proclaimed in Vladikavkaz with Chechen
industrialist Tapa Chermoyev as its acting President. (see map 1). The new state claiming to represent
peoples of Daghestan, Adyghs, Chechens, Ingushians, Kabardians, Karachajis,
Balkars and Ossets, addressed Germany and Turkey whose troops were advancing
towards the Caucasus and offered them peace and military cooperation.
Attracted by geographical location of the area, its resources as well as the
new state’s orientation towards pan-Turcism and pan-Islamism, the Turkish
government recognized North Caucasian Federation and expressed its full
support of their aspirations. Certain support was also expressed on behalf of
Germany. Like most of the other new states that came up (even the ephemeral
ones), the North Caucasian Federation came forward with quite unrealistic
territorial aspirations. The new state claimed sovereignty over all the
Kuban, Terek and Daghestan territories as well as some parts of Georgia
(Sukhumi and Zakatala districts) contrary to the fact that the population of
some of the above territories was unwilling to become its subjects (see map 2). From the very first days of its existence, North Caucasian Federation
faced hostility on behalf of “The Armed Forces of Southern Russia” (otherwise
called the Whites), the anti-bolshevik (anti-communist) volunteer army
formed in the Don area by Russian generals Kornilov, Denikin and Alekseev.
Supported by the Cossacks and significant part of local Russian population,
the Whites quickly took over Kuban territory and started military action
against the government of Chermoyev parallelly with their fight against the
Red Army. The Whites expressed their loyalty to the Allies (the Entente) and
to the idea of non-dismemberment of the former Russian Empire and tried to
eliminate not only the Bolsheviks but also all sorts of separatists labeling
them as “National-Bolsheviks”. Beginning with August, 1918, the Whites
started offensive from two sides against North Caucasian Federation. From
North-West it was attacked by the volunteers of general Denikin and from the
South-East by the small army under colonel Bicherakhov retreating from
Azerbaijan. By the end of 1918 the
Whites overrun Kabarda and Ossetia (Terek territory) and the Caspian coast of
Daghestan. In February, 1919 they invaded Chechnya and the remaining part of
Daghestan and in May 1919 the
government of Chermoyev dissolved itself and the North Caucasian Federation
ceased to exist. However the domination of the Military Forces of Southern Russia in
Chechnya and Daghestan was far not stable. Between June and August of 1919
the Whites had to face mass uprising in Daghestan and Chechnya under the
sheikhs Ali Haji (an Avar) and Uzun Haji (a Chechen). According to Denikin[1],
most of the Chechen plainsmen were in support of the White army while most of
the mountaineers were backing up the rebels. According to Avtorkhanov[2],
most of the Chechens were supporting Uzun Haji who by the autumn of 1919
became an unquestionable leader of Chechens, Ingushians and Daghestanis. In
September, 1919 Uzun Haji declared the independence of North Caucasia for the
second time. This time under the name of North Caucasian Emirate. The Whites
did not give up the idea of the destruction of the emirate until their bitter
end in early 1920, while the followers of Uzun Haji desperately resisted
enjoying significant support from the Red Army (because his war against the
Whites drew thousands of their troops from the main front), Turkey (whose
government never gave up an idea of subordinating the whole Caucasus) and
Georgia (hoping that the creation of a buffer state between Georgia and
Russia, whether communist or
anti-communist, would secure Georgian independence). The war between the
forces of Denikin and Uzun Haji was waged without any rules and was
accompanied with the destruction of villages and towns, economic disaster and
heavy losses both among combatants and civilians. In February, 1920, The Whites had to evacuate most of North Caucasia.
The Bolsheviks whose Red Army came immediately after the Whites’ withdrawal,
offered a compromise to the rebellious mountaineers. The mountaineers were
offered to form North Caucasian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (later
called Mountain Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic) within communist
Russian Federation (See map 3). Unable to continue the destructive war
against the new and stronger enemy, Uzun Haji accepted the compromise and
refrained from further hostilities until his death in May,1920. A weird
semi-independent state formation combining the Shariah law with the communist
symbolism, the Mountain Autonomous Republic included Chechnya, Ingushia,
Ossetia, Kabardia and Karachai. Daghestan was not included into the Mountain
rep. due to the fact that at that moment, it was under control of
Georgia-sponsored anti-communist guerillas under Imam Gotsinsky. In 1921,
separate “autonomous socialist republic” was proclaimed in Daghestan. (to be
continued ) |
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