Insurgency Success Factors and Rebel Legitimacy
Legitimacy through Ideology, Identity and Tradition
The Chechen identity is constructed from a complex interplay of religious, social,
cultural, and political factors 215. Some argue that Russian rule has never been fully accepted by
the Chechen population as legitimate 216. In part, this is due to a stronger connection to communal
ties, religious institutions, and tribal governance than a national identity among the Chechen
population 217. The conceptualization of an independent Chechen state arises out of a sense of
perceived legitimacy of Chechen populations to rule over their own peoples and territory.
The early rebellion was largely mobilized around Chechen nationalism and the right of
Chechen populations to declare an independent nation-state 218. Dudayev himself presented fitting
leadership for such a campaign, as his life portrayed a stereotypical image of the Chechen
identity and reality. An ethnic Chechen, he returned to Chechnya in 1959 with his family, who
had been deported to Kazakhstan in 1944 under Stalin's orders. After attending university in
Moscow, Dudayev launched a successful career with the Russian Red Army, retiring a war hero.
Upon returning to Chechnya, Dudayev entered local politics as an advocate for Chechen
independence, pushing a campaign formulated from a mix of social, religious and ethnic
symbolism 219. Dudayev's appeal to Chechen identity and lifestyle contributed to the population's
ability to connect with his ideology and vision for the rebellion.
The legacy of Stalin's deportation of ethnic Chechens in 1944 also awarded an
ideological driver for the rebel movement. Grammer (2009) believed that the deportation and a
lingering sense of victimization served as a stronger unifier of ethnic Chechens than a shared
ethnic or religious identity. Recent memories of Chechen victimization spoke more strongly to a
diverse Chechen population than historical constructs of nomadic lifestyles that had little impact
on contemporary realities of the population 220.
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