The subject of Chechnya has been a very big conflict between separatists and the government of Russia for a long time. A Nationalist Movement wanted to separate from the previous Soviet Union’s tough communist control. The rebels of Chechnya later on become more defined by Islam.
The Chechens fought hard to avoid being a part of the Russian Empire, but finally lost in the 19th Century. As the Soviet Union began to collapse in 1991, Chechnya thought this was their chance to break away from Russia and a former senior officer named Dzhokhar Dudayev declared independence. Over the next three years, armed groups got an increasing hold on Chechnya.