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The Chechens were recognized as a distinct people since the 17th century, and were independent until the Russian's invasion of the Caucasus in the 19th century (Chechnya: History). Since then, Chechnya has fought against the Soviets to try to remove them from their land. The Chechens are Muslims and speak their own language and have fought off invasions from many countries for several hundred years (Chechnya Time Trail). The Chechens have fought continuously against the Soviet occupation of their land, and paid a huge price for it during World War II. Stalin ordered "[o]n February 23 and 24, [1944], 400,000 Chechen and Inguish people "almost the entire population "were rounded up and deported, mostly to Kazakhstan. 30-50% of them are estimated to have died within the year "one of the most devastating incidents of ethnic cleansing in the 20th century- (Chechnya Time Trail). They were finally allowed to return to their homeland thirteen years later, but still under Soviet control. In the late 1980's there was a resurgence of popular support for independence, and after the Soviet Unions collapse in 1991, and organized a coup to take down Russia's established government in Chechnya. Popular elections were held and the leader of the coup, Jokhar Dudayev, was elected their leader and swiftly claimed independence from Russia. Boris Yeltsin supported a coup attempt against Dudayev but failed miserably, so Moscow ordered its troops to invade Chechnya. The Russian forces stormed into Grozny, the capitol of Chechnya and the rebels drove them back out. This was a humiliating defeat for the one time super power Russia, so they decided to just bomb Grozny until no one was left there to fight. Grozny was almost completely flattened and almost everyone was forced from Grozny, but the Russian forces were able to take over Grozny. This did not stop the Chechen rebels though from fighting, and by the end of 1996, approximately eighty thousand lives were lost in the war.
