The forced expulsion of the Karachay people from their native lands, which began on November 2, 1943, was a continuation of the total deportation of certain peoples of the North Caucasus, the Volga region, and the Crimean Tatars. Over three days, from November 2 to 5, by order of the Soviet authorities, approximately 69,000 people, including women, children, and the elderly, were forcibly deported to Kazakhstan and Central Asia, where they would spend 14 long years.