War and Peace in the Caucasus: Russia's Troubled Frontier

by Vicken Cheterian

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781787381872
Publisher:	Hurst
Publication date:	03/12/2011
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	620 KB

About the Author

Vicken Cheterian, a Swiss national, has been reporting from the Caucasus since the collapse of the Soviet Union for major European newspapers such as Le Monde diplomatique. He is based in Geneva where he is a consultant specializing on Caucasus-related research projects.

Table of Contents

Introduction * C. 1 The End of the Soviet Union and the Rise of Nationalism * C. 2 History, Intellectuals and Conflicts in the Caucasus * C. 3 The Karabakh Conflict * C. 4 Georgia, From National Liberation to State Collapse and Back * C. 5 The Second Caucasian War * C. 6 Sources of Conflict: Mass Trauma, Mobilization, Repression * C. 7 Failure of Diplomacy * C. 8 Oil, Pipelines and the New Geopolitics * Epilogue * Further Reading * Index

What People are Saying About This

Jim Headley

An original and systematic investigation that will be a valuable addition to the debate on the conflicts in the Caucasus, the break-up of the Soviet Union, and wider post-Cold War issues of nationalism and self-determination.

— Jim Headley, University of Otago

Editorial Reviews

'One cannot understand the current unresolved turmoil in the Caucasus, including last fall's war in Georgia, without having read this book.'—Foreign Affairs

'From Armenian family background, Cheterian does not hesitate to name Armenian excesses in the pursuit of independence for Karabakh. In his contributions to several institutes, journalism projects, and to Le Monde Diplomatique and opendemocracy.net, he represents a current of independent, evidence-based reportage and analysis that may just become strong enough to promote rational engagement with the possibilities of peace in the Caucasus.' —Irish Times

'This book is a rewarding read that provides comprehensive coverage of the six Caucasian wars of the last two decades, starting with the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute in 1988 and ending with the most recent Russo-Georgian war in August 2008 . It digs deeper than geopolitics, Russia, and oil and questions many assumptions about these conflicts. ... An innovative analysis.' —Slavic Review

'Absolutely competent and reliably researched.'—Choice

From the Publisher

A comprehensive description of the painful wars in the Caucasus over the last twenty years and an innovative analysis that adds to the theoretical literature on the sources of violent conflict.

Slavic Review - Stephen F. Jones

Cheterian asks the very useful question as to why the four conflicts that form the focus of his book took the shape that they did.

War in History - Alex Marshall

Absolutely competent and reliably researched

Choice

One cannot understand the current unresolved turmoil in the Caucasus, including last fall's war in Georgia, without having read this book.

Foreign Affairs - Robert Legvold

With the South Caucasus suddenly thrust into the center of world attention, Vicken Cheterian's book could not be more timely. Cheterian comes to this topic both as an insider with intimate deep knowledge of the region and as a cool analyst who brings the critical insights of a journalist and the sober judgments of a scholar to bear on historical and political complexities. His story is placed squarely in the context of Soviet collapse and the competing national projects of the Armenians, Azerbaijanis, Georgians, Abkhaz, Ossetians, and Russians. Rather than seeing conflict as primordial or inevitable, Cheterian reveals both the conjunctures and contingencies that made what seemed unavoidable possible. His analysis and interpretations range from pipelines to politicians and provide readers with the most comprehensive understanding of what lies behind the often distorted public rhetoric of state leaders.

Ronald Grigor Suny

This book is essential reading for all who want to understand the roots of conflicts in the Caucasus and those who seek to build a lasting peace in this strategically important region. The recent war between Georgia and Russia has demonstrated that the international community was wrong in assuming that conflicts in Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and Nagorno-Karabakh can remain unresolved for decades. Vicken Cheterian's detailed and balanced account of brutal conflicts and their implications for the post-Soviet development of Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan stands out on this subject. His nuanced understanding of the historic legacies and modern challenges facing the region, its peoples, and its leaders is based on many years iving and travelling in the Caucasus. He describes why diplomacy has failed to deliver reconciliation and just peace, and his insights should inform any future efforts to promote regional stability.

Oksana Antonenko

A comprehensive description of the painful wars in the Caucasus over the last twenty years and an innovative analysis that adds to the theoretical literature on the sources of violent conflict.

— Stephen F. Jones

Slavic Review

Cheterian asks the very useful question as to why the four conflicts that form the focus of his book took the shape that they did.

— Alex Marshall

War in History

One cannot understand the current unresolved turmoil in the Caucasus, including last fall's war in Georgia, without having read this book.

— Robert Legvold

Foreign Affairs