Introduction 1. The Russian Federation Transition 2. Background to the Chechen Declaration of Independence in 1991 3. The Post-Coup Period and the Collapse of the USSR (August-November 1991) 4. The Consolidation of an 'Independent', Post-Soviet Chechnya (1991-93) 5. Challenges to Internal Sovereignty - The Roots of Power and Opposition to the Dudayev Regime (1991-1993) 6. War by Proxy? (February to September 1994) 7. The Decision to Invade (October to December 1994) 8. Making Peace or War? 9. Conclusions: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back Glossary Bibliography Index

This study looks closely at the Russian Federation in transition, following the collapse of the communist Soviet Union, and the implications of the 1991 Chechen Declaration of Independence in the context of Russia's democratisation project.

Tracy German is a graduate in Russian from the University of Edinburgh and was awarded a PhD by the University of Aberdeen on Russia's conflict with Chechnya. She has lived in Russia and Ukraine and also speaks French and German. She is currently a Research Manager at the World Markets Research Centre, specialising in the former Soviet Union and its energy sector.