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Why Do Not All Separatist Movements Aim For Secession? The Cases Of Chechnia And Tatarstan, Mesut Acar

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

Which ethnic groups are more likely to secede is a debated question among scholars. One view, as proposed by Immanuel Wallerstein, holds that ethnic groups living in economically advanced regions are more likely to secede. In contrast, other scholars like Donald Horowitz claim that backward groups in backward regions are more likely to secede. One aim of this thesis is to explore which view has better explanatory power for two republics in the Russian Federation: the Republic of Chechnia and the Republic of Tatarstan. In 1992 they were the two most separatist regions in the Russia. Later they diverged, and …