Title: Boris Yeltsin
Headings: Boris Yeltsin
Boris Yeltsin
Content: The Kremlin became a court, filled with intrigue where real power was wielded by the most unlikely people. Alexander Korzhakov, who rose from being bodyguard to become chief of presidential security, was seen as the second most influential man in the land. A tougher stance was adopted in foreign affairs, with Russia making every effort to appear a superpower, even if it was not. This was particularly clear in dealings with the former Soviet republics, in which the Kremlin arrogated itself the right to use all means, including force, to defend Russian interests. The apogee of General Korzhakov and like-minded men suspicious of the West came in December 1994, when the might of the Russian armed forces was turned against the rebellious republic of Chechnya, a small territory on Russia’s southern border which declared itself independent in 1991. The bungled planning, inept execution and sheer brutality of this campaign shocked the world. Yeltsin, who had been told it would be over in days, absented himself to hospital for a nose operation at the start of the campaign in the hope of avoiding the fuss. It dragged on for 21 months, causing some 40,000 casualties, mostly among civilians. Yeltsin himself suffered three heart attacks during the months of war with Chechnya, but he never lost the support of the West. He knew that the deaths of thousands of Chechens counted for little in international relations, provided Russia steered a generally pro-Western economic course and ensured that its nuclear arsenal was in reliable hands.