NATIONALISM IN THE FALLEN SOVIET UNIONThe Caucuses and slow moving Russian nationalism

Trouble in the Caucuses after 1991

Northern Caucuses stayed Russian Mountains provided

natural frontier for Russia

Southern Caucuses were free from Russian control

Why would Russia worry about owning the Northern Caucuses?

Chechnya: The Rebel

1994 – Chechnya declares independence from Russia Late 1994 – Russia invades but

Chechnya wins and is granted independence

1999 – Chechens try to influence Dagestan and Ingushetia Russia reinvades and wins this

time Chechnya is absorbed into Russia

Leads to insurgency situations by the Chechens

Beslan School and the Moscow Theater

Russian Intervention Speeds Up

2008 – Russia attacked the Southern Caucus state of Georgia

Today, Russia controls Abkazia and South Ossetia Not recognized by

the international community

Still an area of tensions in the world

Creeping Russian Expansion

Feb – Protestors overthrow pro-Russian Ukrainian president Yanukovick New gov’t is very

quickly established In response pro-

Russian and pro-Yanukovich areas vow not to recognize new gov’t in Kiev

Russian Intervention

Late Feb 2014 – unmarked Russian special forces started to occupy the Crimean Peninsula Special election leads

to Russian annexation March – April – other

areas in the East experience occupation April – “talks” are held

between Russia and Ukraine