War and Peace in the Caucasus: Ethnic Conflict and the New Geopolitics: Russia's Troubled Frontier

After the collapse of the Soviet Union the Caucasus was wracked by ethnic and separatist violence as the peoples of the region struggled for self-determination. Vicken Cheterian, who spent many years as a reporter and analyst covering the region's conflicts, asks why nationalism emerged as a dominant political current, and why, of the many nationalist movements that emerged, some led to violence while others did not. He explains also why minority rebellions were victorious against larger armies, in mountainous Karabakh, Abkhazia, and in the first war of Chechnya, and discusses the ongoing instability and armed resistance in the North Caucasus. He concludes his book by examining chapters the great power competition between Russia, the US, and the EU over the oil and gas resources of the Caspian region. "After the collapse of the Soviet Union the Caucasus was wracked by ethnic and separatist violence as the peoples of the region struggled for self-determination. Vicken Cheterian, who spent many years as a reporter and analyst covering the region's conflicts, asks why nationalism emerged as a dominant political current, and why, of the many nationalist movements that emerged, some led to violence while others did not." "He explains also why minority rebellions were victorious against larger armies, in mountainous Karabakh, Abkhazia, and in the first war of Chechnya, and discusses the ongoing instability and armed resistance in the North Caucasus. He concludes his book by examining the great power competition between Russia, the US, and the EU over the oil and gas resources of the Caspian region."--Jacket Cover 1 Half-title 3 Title 5 Copyright 6 Contents 7 Acknowledgements 9 Introduction 11 1. The End of the Soviet Union and the Rise of Nationalism 17 2. History, Intellectuals and Conflicts in the Caucasus 47 3. The Karabakh Conflict 97 4. Georgia, From National Liberation to State Collapse and Back 165 5. The Second Caucasian War 227 6. Sources of Conflict: Mass Trauma, Mobilization, Repression 295 7. Failure of Diplomacy 329 8. Oil, Pipelines and die New Geopolitics 365 Epilogue 383 Further reading 391 Index 399 After the collapse of the Soviet Union the Caucasus was wracked by ethnic and separatist violence as the peoples of the region struggled for self-determination. This book asks why nationalism emerged as a dominant political current, and why, of the many nationalist movements that emerged, some led to violence while others did not. Vicken Cheterian. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 381-387) And Index.