Chechnya: Tombstone of Russian Power [Hardcover]

Mr. Anatol Lieven (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 20, 1998

The war between Russia and the Chechen separatist forces, from December 1994 to August 1996, may be seen by future historians as a key moment in Russian and even world history. This is not because of its immediate consequences, which seem likely to be limited, but because of the light it has thrown on one of the crucial developments of our time: the end of Russia as a great military and imperial power. In terms of sheer logistical achievement, the Chechen victory - against such odds - over the Russian army is one of the epics of colonial resistance this century. As a moment in military history, it has lessons to teach on military anthropology, the nature of urban combat, national mobilization, and the limits of air power. In addition to providing a step-by-step account of the conflict on the ground, Lieven takes issue with the prevalent Western schools of thought and writing about Russia, which have exaggerated its military strengths, misconstrued its political culture, swallowed its nationalist rhetoric, and transposed imagined "ideological quests" onto the Russian psyche. Despite what most "experts" would have us believe, ordinary Russians are not primarely concerned with empire, glory and national status, but with economics, security and the daily effort to survive. Despite the scale of the Russian defeat, the mystique of its military power remains tenacious in the West. Lieven's account demolishes the conventional black-and white view, ridicules the incessant repetition of the baseless and mistaken set of alternatives for the country's future, and sets Russia's humiliation at the hands of a tiny group of badly-organized guerrillas in a framework.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

A correspondent for the Financial Times, Anatol Lieven spent much time in Chechnya, the postage-stamp-sized Caucasus republic whose break from Russia in 1994 precipitated a major war (one that Russia lost). Lieven looks into the long, troubled history of Russian-Chechen relations, noting that each side despised the other for largely cultural reasons (the Chechens have long been involved in organized crime in major Russian cities, whereas Russians have long tried to strip Chechnya of its resources). He notes that Chechen society has historically been militarized (one Armenian said to Lieven, "The men are always fighting and the women are cooking for them, nursing their wounds, and bringing up their children"), making the mountain people a formidable foe. In the meanwhile, writes Lieven, the Russian military suffered from low morale and from corruption of various kinds: Russian field soldiers sold their guns to Chechen guerrillas for vodka and currency, while Russian officers stole their soldiers' pay and Russian politicians skimmed off the top. This is an extraordinary look at a little-known conflict. --Gregory McNamee

From Publishers Weekly

Journalist Lieven (The Baltic Revolution) offers something of a three-course menu in his latest book. The first is a commanding eyewitness account of the recent Chechen war and the personalities and power maneuvers surrounding it, followed by his analysis of the breakdown of the Russian military and, indeed, of the entire Russian political structure after the Soviet Union's collapse. Third is a condensed history of the Chechen (and North Caucasus) region?its people, culture and attitudes, concluding with the author's prognoses. As his subtitle might suggest, Lieven's emphasis is on issues of Russian power?Chechnya's strategic and symbolic significance, the breakdown of legitimacy, mismanagement and pervasive corruption within the Russian state, from Yeltsin down, which destroyed public and military morale. Russian troops who survived by theft while fighting a guerrilla war they had no training for ended up asking why they were fighting outside Russia, risking death without pay, only to inflate remote political egos and fortunes. Lieven shows enormous respect for the Chechens, whose memory of Stalin's mass deportations between 1944 and 1958 galvanized their resolve to be free. Although helpful to understanding Russia and Chechnya today and rich in firsthand information, the work's three main themes remain unsatisfactorily integrated, while Lieven's indictment of post-Soviet Russia begs for a larger work, with Chechnya as one telling chapter.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 448 pages
• Publisher: Yale University Press; 1St Edition edition (April 20, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0300073984
• ISBN-13: 978-0300073980
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.5 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,392,592 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great book, but beware of biases, May 20, 2000

By 

Billy Winters - See all my reviews

This review is from: Chechnya: Tombstone of Russian Power (Paperback)

Mr. Lieven does an excellent job in his analysis of the Chechen conflict, but readers should use caution against potential bias. During his time in Chechnya, the author seems to have grown quite affectionate toward the Chechens. This leads to the Russians being painted as the villain (not that they are angels, but neither are the Chechens). However, Mr. Lieven does provide a fascinating insight into the war. I love his miniature analyses of the evolution of modern war. This book is not for beginners, but few Yale publishings are. Beginnners should look for a Chechnya book from a mass-market publisher.

16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars good, but not really for beginners., October 12, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Chechnya: Tombstone of Russian Power (Paperback)

Lieven's book is sporadically brilliant at telling the story of why the Russians failed to conquer Chechnya, and why they'll probably fail again. In particular, he brings to the fore how russian foreign policy is dictated by the internal political struggles amongst the rich and greedy; and how the russian military suffers from a serious lack of morale.

But the book has serious problems: Lieven assumes his readers are as knowledgeable as him. For instance, Lieven talks of all these important figures in the Chechnyan war, but often doesn't bother to introduce them. He doesn't explain who General Dudayev was until about 50 pages through the book. The legendary exploits of a great chechnyan rebel, Shamil, aren't discussed till near the very end of the book. Lieven doesn't discuss the history of Russian involvement in chechnya till two-thirds of the way through the book.

There's no damn map, so often you have no idea what took place where.

If you want a good short introduction to the chechnya conflict, this isn't it. You're better off starting off with something a little simpler, that actually tells the story in a relatively linear and straightforward manner.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very thorough analysis of the Russian defeat in Chechnya, November 1, 1998

By 

B. M. de Jong - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Chechnya: Tombstone of Russian Power (Hardcover)

Lieven gives a vivid account from the front line in Chechnya during the recent war. He spoke to the main protagonists on both sides and also to the common soldiers or fighters. He offers many lively examples of Russian incompetence and corruption and writes admiringly but not uncritically about the courage and tenacity of the Chechens who fought this once mighty military force. Lieven also analyses thoroughly the broader military and political reasons for the Russian defeat and traces its causes to the general state of political decay in present day Russia. He offers the historical background of the very troubled Russian-Chechen relationship. He draws many interesting parallels with other political systems where corrupt and incompetent leaders have remained in power over longer periods of time e.g. in certain Latin American countries. Lieven writes critically about western analysts such as the historian Richard Pipes who still tend to regard Russia as an inherently expansionist power. Military expansion, in his view, is simply not on the agenda for a very long time, if only due to the very sorry state of the Russian military and of politics generally. A very insightful book, very rewarding.