The First Chechen War (1994–96) was a watershed moment in Russian domestic politics. It has greatly influenced the elites’ transitions that occurred in the 1990s. Interestingly, the Russian defeat in the war has not, as one might have expected, marginalised the Soviet- era nationalist security elites most responsible for starting and losing the war. Instead, it has reinforced their influence on policy while discrediting the liberals who opposed the conflict. Examining the debates about Chechnya in the State Duma in 1996– 97, this article suggests that there are two reasons for this: the continued perception that the liberals and President Boris Yeltsin were responsible for the Chechen War and the controversial Khasavyurt Accord that ended it, and the fear that a weak Russia may collapse due to a separatist domino effect born out of Chechnya.