Insurgency Success Factors and Rebel Legitimacy
movement as a legitimate political movement amongst non-governmental Russian populations,
the international community, and Chechen civilians. Legitimacy influenced each actor's support
of the cause via the resources and means available to them.
Similarly, decreased legitimacy in "official" political arenas, increasingly encouraged
Chechen rebels to pursue legitimacy in non-official avenues, particularly through associations
and support from Islamist jihadi groups. Legitimacy acknowledged in non-official avenues
awards access to different channels of diplomacy, resources, and networks. Similarly,
perceptions of legitimacy in non-official venues may vary from perceptions in official arenas.
For example, while Western states base concepts of legitimate legal practices on liberal
democratic values, Islamist organizations may perceive legitimate law as sharia law.
Not all factors of legitimacy need to be present to allow rebel groups to increase access to
resources through legitimacy means. For example, from 1991-1994, during its highest period of
legitimacy and success the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria failed to effectively control or mobilize
government services, programs, and resources.
This analysis also indicates that insurgent success and legitimacy, do not correlate to
insurgent sustainability. The modern Chechen insurgency experienced high levels of success in
the early 1990's, but ultimately lacked the means to sustain their activities.
Another important finding is that certain factors of legitimacy correlate more strongly to
certain areas of success. For example, legitimacy awarded through external actors, correlated
strongly with achievements of material success and access to international diplomatic and
economic space. These same factors proved to have little effect on civilian perception and
support. In Chechnya, external actors tended to focus their perceptions of rebel legitimacy in
areas that benefitted their objectives. For example, organizational management appeals strongly
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