Episode notes
The Chechen wars were more than brutal conflicts on Russia’s southern frontier. They became a turning point in the history of post-Soviet Russia and played a major role in the rise of Vladimir Putin.
In this episode, we explore the deep roots of Chechen resistance, the catastrophic Russian assault on Grozny, the collapse of the First Chechen War, and the fear that surrounded the renewed conflict in 1999. We examine how Putin used the Second Chechen War to present himself as the leader who would restore order, rebuild state power, and end the instability of the 1990s.
We also look at how the conflict strengthened Russia’s security services, weakened independent media, centralized political authority, and created a system of rule based on loyalty, fear, and permanent national emergency.
Chechnya was not simply conquered by Putin’s Russia. In many ways, Putin’s Russia was created through Chechnya.