Chechnya and Russia conflict Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Chechnya and Russia conflict - Research Paper Example However, the collapse of the Soviet Union allowed for separatist groups within Chechnya to place a renewed emphasis and focus upon independence; thereby drawing the Russian Federation to act as a means of protecting the sovereignty the sovereignty of its newly redefined borders. Chechnya naturally refers to the geographic region within Dagestan that represents and ethnically, culturally, and religiously diverse people. Whereas incorporation within the Russian Empire and subsequent Soviet Union had provided a great deal of commonality with regards to the vast geographic areas that could be defined as Russian or Soviet, Chechnya exhibited a strong will to independence from the time that it was first colonized up until the present. Accordingly, this region has become a flashpoint for both independence and radical Islam within Russia’s southern border. Whereas there are many other trouble spots within Dagestan and the southern Caucasus, Chechnya has become the focal point of these due to its strong cultural traditions and continual resistance to whatever Empire or Federation seeks to define it a given time. The pro-unification Chechen government refers to something of a puppet regime that was set up by the government of Vladimir Putin upon the conclusion of the Second Chechen War. Headed by Akhmad Kadyrov, the pro–unification government naturally sought a greater degree of integration within the Russian Federation. In such a way, the Russian Federation was able to utilize a pseudo-– democratic process to seek to ease tensions within the region. However, Akhmad Kadryov was assassinated by a bomb blast in 2004.3 His assassination prompted Moscow to promote his son Ramzan Kadyrov to represent the pro—unification Chechen government. The degree of success that this process has been able to integrate with regards to revolutionary violence within Chechnya has been marked. Although violent repression still continues to exist, the region has experienced a great deal of growth and rebuilding of formerly leveled cities have helped to integrate individuals within the framework of society. Although there are many who continue to push back against the pro—unification Chechen government, it exhibits a great deal of influence and provides the Russian Federation the level of power that has not been seen within Chechnya since the collapse of the former Soviet Union.4 Naturally, representing the flip side of this are the separatist rebels. The separatist rebels are drawn from a wide variety of backgrounds, cultures, and degree of appreciation and adherence to Islam. Ultimately, the separatist rebels failure can be seen as a function of the fact that they do not have a solitary voice. In such a way, the separatist rebels exhibit a weakness that is been able to be exploited by the Russian Federation as a means of subverting and subduing the movement that they represent. Regardless of this splintered nature, elements of the separatist rebels continue to promote radical revolution and ask of violence against both military and civilian assets of the Russian Fe deration. Naturally, in order to understand the situation, one cannot and should not discount the role that religion plays. Whereas the Russian Federation is almost exclusively Eastern Orthodox, Chechnya and other areas within Dagestan and the South Caucasus are exclusively Islam. Although individuals within the rebel movements of Chechnya cannot and should not be considered as solely motivated by radical interpretations Islam, the fact that matter is that Islam