Timeline:
1810: Russia attacks and conquers Caucasia
1840-45: Repeated attempts to vanquish Chechen forces fail.
1918: Soviet power claimed in these regions.
1920: Stalin opts to give the Chechen’s their own republic but it falls through. 1924: Ingush and Chechen Autonomous Region established.
1934: The two regions were merged as one.
1944: Russians again attack Chechnya and thousands are exiled.
1990: Russia shows interest in Azerbaijan oil and the pipeline in Chechnya.
1991: The fall of the Soviet Union allows Georgia, Latvia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Tajikstan and Chechnya to declare independence. Russia refuses to allow Chechnya independence.
1992: Chechnya separated from fellow Muslim province Ingushetia.
1994 November: Chechnya’s president Dadaev declares independence. Russia’s attack to keep Chechnya with 40,000 troops coincides with Boris Yeltsin’s reelection.
1994 December: Yeltsin decides to invade Chechnya again after embarrassing defeat in November.
1995: Peace treaty signed but sporadic fighting continued.
1996: Dudaev killed. Cease-fire ended fighting.
1997: Peace treaty signed.
1999 August: Radical Muslims stage uprisings in neighboring Dagestan. September
1999: Russia declares full scale war in Chechnya.
1999 November: In effort to surround capitol Grozny, Russian captures neighboring cities.
2000 February: Russia claims it captured Grozny, while Chechen forces flee to Southwest portion of country.
2000 June: Russia appoints Islamic cleric Ashmed Kadyrov to head the separatist state. Kadyrov supported Russian invasion and disliked former Chechen president Maskhadov. Later Russia removes 3/4 of forces from Chechnya.
IMO the Russians should of left a long time ago. Now I don't see that as happening.