Publication

This publication discusses the use of the military campaign in Chechnya to mobilize support for Russian Presidential candidate Vladimir Putin. The author argues that the Kremlin decided to start a war in order to create an upsurge in patriotic sentiment, a gamble which worked therefore presenting Putin as a decisive man of action. The publication concludes that if the Russian armed forces gain a decisive victory in the Chechen conflict, Putin is likely to face a much more confident and assertive military leadership.