Operation Lentil (Caucasus)

Quick Facts: Who was Operation Lentil (Caucasus)?

Subject:

Operation Lentil (Caucasus)

Known for:

Forced Soviet deportation of Vainakh peoples (Chechen and Ingush) in 1944.

Verified Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

The Soviet government forcibly transferred the whole of the Vainakh (Chechen and Ingush) populations of the North Caucasus to Central Asia on 23 February 1944, during World War II. The expulsion, referred to by Chechens often as Aardakh (the Exodus), was ordered by NKVD chief Lavrentiy Beria after approval by Soviet leader and dictator Joseph Stalin as part of a Soviet forced settlement program and population transfer that affected several million members of ethnic minorities in the Soviet Union between the 1930s and the 1950s. The deportation was prepared from at least October 1943 and 19,000 officers as well as 100,000 NKVD soldiers from all over the USSR participated in this operation. The deportation encompassed their entire nations, as well as the liquidation of the Checheno-Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. The demographic consequences of this eviction were catastrophic and far-reaching: of the 496,000 Chechens and Ingush who were deported, at least a quarter died.

Career & Major Achievements

In total, the archive records show that over a hundred thousand people died or were killed during the round-ups and transportation, and during their early years in exile in the Kazakh and Kyrgyz SSR, as well as Russian SFSR where they were sent to the many forced settlements. Chechen sources claim that 400,000 died, while presuming a higher number of deportees. A higher percentage of Chechens were killed than any other ethnic group persecuted by population transfer in the Soviet Union. Chechens were under administrative supervision of the NKVD officials during that entire time. The exile lasted for 13 years and the survivors would not return to their native lands until 1957, after the new Soviet authorities under Nikita Khrushchev reversed many of Stalin's policies, including the deportations of nations.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

A local report indicated that some 432,000 Vainakhs had resettled to the Chechen-Ingush ASSR by 1961, though they faced many obstacles while trying to settle back to the Caucasus, including unemployment, lack of accommodation and ethnic clashes with the local Russian population. Eventually, the Chechens and Ingush recovered and regained the majority of the population. This eviction left a permanent scar in the memory of the survivors and their descendants. February 23 is today remembered as a day of tragedy by most Ingushs and Chechens. Many in Chechnya and Ingushetia classify it as an act of genocide, as did the European Parliament in 2004.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1943: 1943 Milestone — The deportation was prepared from at least October 1943 and 19,000 officers as well as 100,000 NKVD soldiers from all over the USSR participated in this operation.
2. 1944: 1944 Milestone — The Soviet government forcibly transferred the whole of the Vainakh (Chechen and Ingush) populations of the North Caucasus to Central Asia on 23 February 1944, during World War II.
3. 1957: 1957 Milestone — The exile lasted for 13 years and the survivors would not return to their native lands until 1957, after the new Soviet authorities under Nikita Khrushchev reversed many of Stalin's policies, including the deportations of nations.
4. 1961: 1961 Milestone — A local report indicated that some 432,000 Vainakhs had resettled to the Chechen-Ingush ASSR by 1961, though they faced many obstacles while trying to settle back to the Caucasus, including unemployment, lack of accommodation and ethnic clashes with the local Russian population.
5. 2004: 2004 Milestone — Many in Chechnya and Ingushetia classify it as an act of genocide, as did the European Parliament in 2004.

Notable Quotes by Operation Lentil (Caucasus)

“If the liberation of the Caucasus meant only the exchange of one colonizer for another, the Caucasians would consider this... only a new stage in the national liberation war.”

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Operation Lentil (Caucasus)

True or False: “The initial conflict between Chechens and Russians began after the Russian Empire annexed the Caucasus region following the Caucasian War (1817–1864).”

Answer (TRUE ⭕): The Wikipedia text notes that the origins of the Chechen-Russian conflict date back to 1785, preceding the formal war period mentioned.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Abdülmecid II — Historical peer (Died in 1944) (1944): Last Ottoman Caliph and prominent Turkish aesthete, head of the Osmanoğlu family.
• Agustín Barrios — Historical peer (Died in 1944) (1944): Paraguayan virtuoso classical guitarist and composer, celebrated for his prolific works.
• Agustín Pedro Justo — Historical peer (Died in 1943) (1943): 18th President of Argentina, leading during the tumultuous Infamous Decade.
• Akaji Maro — Historical peer (Born in 1943) (1943): Pioneering Japanese butoh performer, director, and acclaimed film actor.
• Achille Mbembe — Historical peer (Born in 1957) (1957): Cameroonian historian and political theorist known for critiques of colonialism.
• Afrika Bambaataa — Historical peer (Born in 1957) (1957): Pioneering DJ and producer who shaped electro-funk and global hip-hop culture.
• Aaron Sorkin — Historical peer (Born in 1961) (1961): Master of fast-paced dialogue, known for 'walk and talk' storytelling.
• Abderrahmane Sissako — Historical peer (Born in 1961) (1961): Mauritanian-born Malian film director known for themes of globalization and exile.
• A. A. K. Niazi — Historical peer (Died in 2004) (2004): Pakistani general who commanded Eastern Command during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.
• Ahn Ji-ho (actor) — Historical peer (Born in 2004) (2004): South Korean actor known for starting his career in web series.

Frequently Asked Questions about Operation Lentil (Caucasus)