Conflict in the Caucasus from Imam Shamil to the Second Russo-Chechen War
Dr. Brian Williams
History Dept. Group 1, Room 313
While Europe is largely a peaceful continent today, there is one war raging on the edge of this civilized land which pits the mighty Russian Federation against a small race of highlanders known as Chechens. This war has cost tens of thousands their lives, it has led Russia back down the path towards Soviet-style authoritarianism, and it has spilled over into neighboring regions with potentially dangerous implications for the USA. But for all of its geostrategic importance for much of Eurasia and the USA, the Russo-Chechen War has received little coverage in the Western media.
It is only when the cornered Chechens engage in unprecedented mass-terrorism, such as the seizure of school children in a school in Beslan, Russia in 2004, that the outside world is reminded of the horrors of Chechnya. Sadly, the disjointed images of Chechen hostage-takers or terrorists that appear on 90 second CNN sound-bites are, however, lacking in historical context (as is most coverage of the Chechens). This leads to one-dimensional views of this ancient people whose homeland, history, culture, and reasons for fighting against Russia are usually described in simplistic, inaccurate, unhistorical terms by the press. Thus, Europe’s only war remains largely misunderstood by outsiders who have little familiarity with the history of this region.
And it is this lack of familiarity with this distant terra incognita that is at the real root of the misunderstanding or lack of interest in the Russo-Chechen War. In simple terms, most outsiders know nothing about the homeland of the Chechens, the Caucasus Mountains, and even less about Sufi-frontier Islam, and the history of Russian conquests of this realm. The Caucasus is one of those blank spots on most American’s ‘mental maps’, a region best known for separating Orthodox-Christian Europe from the Muslim Middle East.
But for all the fact that the Caucasus is overlooked by Westerners, it is a land rich in history with more races and ethnic groups per square mile than any other place in the world. To know the Chechens, and understand their reasons for going to war with the Russian Federation in the 21st century, the student of history must make a necessary journey back in time to the Caucasus and surrounding regions.
This class aims to do just that by taking students through the history of the various religions, peoples, and empires that lapped up against this mountain barrier and created the conditions that led to today’s war between the Russians and Chechens. We will trace the spread of Islam to this region, the conquests of the Russian Tsars, the oppression and modernization of the Soviets, and the tragedy of the on-going wars all with the aim of providing a historical context for the disjointed CNN images of the ‘Chechen race of terrorists.’ In the process students will be introduced to Ottoman, Middle Eastern, Russian, Soviet and Caucasian history and come to know an important part of the world that has been largely overlooked by Western-biased history.
The course grade will be calculated as follows:
1. Two Map Quizzes: Each 10%
2. Three exams on reading and lectures. 20% each.
3. Paper to be discussed in class. 20%
There are no excuses for missing any of the above course requirements or deadlines for tests.
Required Reading:
Khassan Baiev. The Oath. A Surgeon Under Fire.*
This work will provide a rare Chechen perspective and trace the impact of the collapse of the USSR and the wars on a typical Chehcen village.
Sebastian Smith. Allah’s Mountains.
This book will provide a war correspondent’s view of the first Russo-
Chechen War and introduce key players and chronology.
Nicholas Griffin. Caucasus. A Journey to the Land Between Christianity and Islam.
This book will provide the historical context and introduce students to
the history and culture of the Caucasus.
--Handouts which can be found at: brianglynwilliams.com (under “Publications”)
* Refers to the hardcover release. The paperback is titled Grief Of My Heart: A Surgeon Under Fire.
Course Topics.
1. January 30. Introduction to Class. Chechnya, Europe’s Heart of Darkness.
- Reading: The Oath. ‘Prologue’ ‘Introduction’ and ‘About Chechnya.’
2. Feb. 1. Muhammad. The Spread of Islam to the Caucasus.
- Reading: Griffin. Chapter 1. Key Notions: 5 Pillars of Islam, jihad, Arabs first people of Islam, Mecca, People of the Book.
3. Feb. 3. Sultans. The Expansion of the Ottoman Empire.
4. Feb 6. Slavs. Introduction to the Russians.
- Reading: Smith. pages 32-35. Key Notions: Orthodox Christianity, Muscovy (Moscow Principality), Slavic races, growth of Russia.
5. Feb. 8. Tsars. The Rise of Russia.
- Reading: Smith pages 36-41. Key Notions: Unification of Russia and beginning of expansion, concept of Tsar-Caesar.
6. Feb. 10. Ivan the Terrible. Russia Creates an Empire.
- Key Notions: Russian imperial expansion, birth of an empire, forced conversion of Muslims.
7. Feb. 13. Cossacks. The Russian Settlement of the North Caucasus.
- Reading. Griffin Chapters 4 and 5.
Key Notions: Cossacks-Russia’s frontiersmen, expansion towards Caucasus Mountains, Slavic interaction with indigenous tribes of Mountains.
8. Feb. 15. Empress. Catherine the Great and Expansion to the South.
- Reading: Griffin Chapters 6 and 7.
Key Notions: the first Cossack lines and forts.
9. Feb. 17. Highlanders. The Tribes of the North Caucasus.
- Reading: Griffin Chapters 8 and 9.
10. Feb. 20 . No Class.
11. Feb. 22. Yermolov. The Russian Conquest of the North Caucasus.
- Reading: Griffin Chapters 10 and 12.
12. Feb. 24. Imam. Shamil’s Rebellion Against Russia.
- Reading: Griffin Chapters 12 and 14. Smith pages 41-51.
13. Feb. 27. Fire and Sword. The Suppression of Shamil.
- Reading: Griffin Chapters 16-20 and Chapter 22 to page 227 (i.e. end of book)
TEST ONE (READING AND LECTURES).
14. March 1. Empire. The Chechens in Russia.
15. March 3. Lenin. Overthrow of the Tsar and Creation of the USSR.
- Reading: Smith pages 54-58.
16. March 6. Soviet Nationality Policies.
- Reading: Smith pages 58-68.
17. March 8. Exile. The Deportation of the Chechens and Ingush.
- Readings: (Handout “Commemorating the Deportation in Post-Soviet Chechnya”).
18. March 10. Return. The Struggle to Return Home.
19. March 13. Mafia Nation? The Chechens from 1960s-80s.
- Reading: The Oath. Chapter 1-2.
20. March 15. Gorbachev. The Fall of the USSR.
- Reading: The Oath. Chapter 3-5.
21. March 17th. Dudayev. Chechen Separatism.
- Reading: The Oath. Chapters 6 and 7.
22. Spring Break March 17-27.
- Over break read: Smith Part. 4. The Chechen Wolf.
23 March 27th. Yeltsin and Dudayev. The Beginnings of the Conflict.
- Reading: The Oath. Chapters 8 and 9.
TEST TWO (READING AND LECTURES)
23. March 29th. Intervention. The First Russian Attempts to Remove Dudayev.
- Reading: Smith pages 146-166.
24. March 31. Invasion. Yeltsin Invades Chechnya.
- Reading: Smith pages 166-210.
25. April 3. Grozny. The Fall of the Chechen Capital.
- Reading: The Oath. Chapters 10 and 11. Smith pages 210-240.
26. April 5. Basayev. The Attack of Budennovsk.
- Reading: Smith pages 240-268.
27. April 7. Grozny. The Defeat of the Russians.
- Reading: The Oath. Chapters 12 and 13.
28. April 10. 1996-99. The Interwar Years.
- Reading: The Oath. Chapter 14 and 15.
29. April 12. Dagestan. Fundamentalism in the Caucasus.
- Reading: “The Russo-Chechen War. A Threat to Security in Eurasia.” brianglynwilliams.com (Scroll down “Publications”)
30. April 14. Invasion. Basayev’s Invasion of Dagestan.
- Reading: “The Russo-Chechen War. A Threat to Security in Eurasia.”
31. April 17 . No Class.
32. April 19. Terrorism. “Russia’s 9/11.”
- Reading: The Oath. chapter 16 and 17.
33. April 21. Putin. Russia’s Second Invasion of Chechnya.
- Reading: The Oath. chapter 18
34. April 24. The Defense of Grozny. The Oath. Chapter 19.
35. April 26. Grozny II. Russia’s Seige of the Chechen Capital.
- Reading: The Oath. Chapter 20. Smith “Introduction.”
36. April 28. Retreat. The Chechen Withdrawal From Grozny.
- Reading: The Oath. chapter 21.
37. May 1. Guerillas. The Chechen Insurgency Commences.
- Reading: The Oath. chapter 22 and 23.
38. May 3. September 11th. America Discovers the Chechens.
- Reading: “From Secessionist Rebels to Al Qaeda Shock Brigades.” (brianglynwilliams.com scroll down “Publications”)
39. May 5. Afghanistan. Chechens as a Race of Terrorists.
- Reading: “Shattering the Chechen-Al Qaeda Myth.” Parts 1 & 2.
(brianglynwilliams.com)
40. May 8. Iraq. Chechens in the Middle East?
- Reading: “The Chechen-Arabs.” (brianglynwilliams.com)
TEST THREE (READING AND LECTURES)
41. May 10. Beslan. The Chechens as World Class Terrorists.
42. May 12. Mashkadov. Chechnya after the Death of its President.
43. May 15. Arab-Chechens in Iraq.
(PAPERS DUE: NO LATE PAPERS ACCEPTED)
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