The Caucasus: An IntroductionOxford University Press, 2018 M11 2 - 320 pages This new edition of The Caucasus is a thorough update of an essential guide that has introduced thousands of readers to a complex region. Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and the break-away territories that have tried to split away from them constitute one of the most diverse and challenging regions on earth, impressing the visitor with their multi-layered history and ethnic complexity. Over the last few years, the South Caucasus region has captured international attention again because of disputes between the West and Russia, its unresolved conflicts, and its role as an energy transport corridor to Europe. The Caucasus gives the reader a historical overview and an authoritative guide to the three conflicts that have blighted the region. Thomas de Waal tells the story of the "Five-Day War" between Georgia and Russia and recent political upheavals in all three countries. He also finds time to tell the reader about Georgian wine, Baku jazz and how the coast of Abkhazia was known as "Soviet Florida." Short, stimulating and rich in detail, The Caucasus is the perfect guide to this fascinating and little-understood region. |
Contents
| 6 | |
2 Russias South | 37 |
3 The Soviet Caucasus | 71 |
An Intimate Quarrel | 99 |
Abkhazia and South Ossetia | 134 |
6 Caspian Energy and Caucasian Corridors | 170 |
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Abkhaz Abkhazia and South Ajaria Aliev April Armenians and Azerbaijanis army August Azerbaijan Azeri Baku Batumi became began Beria Black Sea Bolsheviks border called captured Caspian Sea Caucasian ceasefire century Christian church declared deported diaspora dispute eastern economic elected ethnic groups Europe European fighting force foreign Gamsakhurdia Genocide Georgian Dream Georgian nation Greeks historian identity independence Iran Iranian Islam issue Ivanishvili Karabakh Armenians Karabakh conflict killed Kurds language large numbers later leader live Menshevik Mikheil Saakashvili military million minister Moscow mountains Muslim Nagorny Karabakh nationalist negotiations North officials Ottoman Empire parliament party peace peacekeeping percent Persian pipeline political population president Putin regime region Republic Rose Revolution Russian Rustaveli Saakashvili Sargsyan Shevardnadze Shusha side South Caucasus South Ossetia Soviet Union Stalin status Sukhumi Tbilisi territory Tiflis town Transcaucasian Transcaucasus Treaty troops tsarist Tskhinvali Turkey Turkish Turks villages Yerevan