Chechnya: The Case for Independence (Paperback)

by Tony Wood (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"A passionate and eloquent case for Chechen statehood, well researched and reasoned. Whatever one thinks of state sovereignty these days, this political project demands serious engagement, and his humanitarian concerns cannot be ignored." - Georgi Derbrguian, author of Bourdieu's Secret Admirer in the Caucasus"

Product Description
An eloquent case for independence for Europe's forgotten colony.

Since the end of the Cold War, Chechnya has suffered two full-scale Russian military assaults, and is now in the seventh year of a brutal occupation. The casualties remain largely uncounted, and the fundamental issues at stake are routinely sidestepped in Russia and in the West. In this powerful argument for Chechen self-determination, Tony Wood considers Russo-Chechen relations over the past century and a half, as well as the fate of the region since the fall of the Soviet Union. Chechnya: The Case for Independence sharply criticizes the role of Western nations in their struggle, and lays bare the weakness—and shamefulness—of the arguments used to deny the Chechens' right to sovereignty.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Verso (March 19, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1844671143
• ISBN-13: 978-1844671144
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,231,085 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Critical Intervention on Chechnya Debate, April 3, 2007

By	Tom Mertes - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Chechnya: The Case for Independence is a cogent and compelling call to internationalists and democrats to implore Moscow to recognize it as a sovereign nation. Wood's text is written in a clear fashion that is accessible to a non-legal audience. The history of Chechnya is laid out in the first two chapters that serve as an excellent primer on the history of a region that struggled against imperial domination from the Romanovs through the Soviets. This history clearly demonstrates that the Chechens had an equal claim to independence as other former states that were subsequently recognized after the implosion of the USSR. The remainder of the text dissects the reimposition of Russian forces into Chechnya during the devastating war of 1994-6 under the Yeltsin regime that resulted in a truce between the independence movement and the Russian army as well as a de facto recognition of Chechen sovereignty. Yet, scarcely four years later as Putin sought to put the finishing touches on replacing Yeltsin, the Russian army again launched an invasion leveling most of the capital city of Grozny and further exacerbating the economic, social and political strife. Despite the occupation and the declining material conditions of the population, the international "community" and Western governments have put little or no pressure on Putin's government to even enter into talks. In the period after 11 September 2001, governments and large ngos have refused to condemn the ongoing quagmire of Russian violations for fear of being weak on "terrorism". Wood convincingly demonstrates this argument places the carriage well in front of the horse. As with most occupations by foreign powers, a self-fulfilling prophecy arises: independence leaders and resistance fighters are painted as "terrorists" by the invaders and occupiers. When pitched field battles cannot be won, the freedom fighters take up strategies employed from their own national champions and previous victorious leaders from George Washington to Vo Nguyen Giap. The Case for Independence also effectively undermines the argument that the Chechens are tied to al Qaida or put Islam (Sunni, or some form of Sufism: Salifism, Naqshbandiyya, Qadiris) before nationalism. Finally, besides the powerful arguments for sovereignty alone, the monograph makes a good case for the fact that it would benefit Russia and the region, if Chechnya was allowed independence because it would reduce tensions in the geo-political region, it would allow for the return of 60,000 Russian soldiers (mostly poor young men who have been ill-trained and subsequently corrupted, maimed or killed in action), and stabilize the flow of oil. Wood has produced a potent intervention into a stale and woefully neglected debate that has been silenced in Russia by threat and assassination. Whether one agrees with the author or not, it is a fire that cannot be ignored for much longer.

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent, July 5, 2009

By	Brian J. Lanahan - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

an excellent book about a country(Chechnya)and two wars most people have never even heard of. The book gives an argument for the Chechen Peoples right to independence, highlighting Russia's atrocities.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful background, July 29, 2008

By	CoBrA IS Letters (!) - See all my reviews

The strongest aspect of Wood's wonderfully constructed work is the exhaustive historical background of the social and political development of modern Chechnya. Rather than simply present the ins and outs of the current political climate, Wood's examination of the issue includes an informative history of the area and and its inhabitants. This book provides a wonderful introduction to the area which seamlessly blends into a carefully constructed and reasoned argument.