Of all the violent disputes that have flared across the former
Soviet Union since the late 1980s, the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict
is the only one to pose a genuine threat to peace and security
throughout Eurasia. By right of its strategic location and oil
resources, the Transcaucasus has been and will continue to be a
source of interest for external powers competing to advance their
geopolitical influence in the region. Under such conditions, the
possibility will remain for the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict to
reignite and expand to include other powers.
The ten-year conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan has been
one of the bloodiest and most intractable disputes to emerge from
the breakup of the Soviet Union. Animosity that developed between
the Armenians and Azeris under czarist Russian rule was fueled by
the rise of a dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh, a mountainous region
for which both peoples feel an intense nationalistic affinity. The
attachment of the region to Azerbaijan by Stalin in 1923 became a
source of deep resentment for the Armenians, and during the rule of
Gorbachev, a campaign was begun to achieve the peaceful unification
of Armenia and Karabakh. Azerbaijan resisted the move as a threat
to its territorial integrity, and clashes that broke out soon
escalated into a full-scale war that outlived the USSR itself.
Although a cease-fire has been observed since May, 1994, a
peaceful settlement to the conflict has been elusive. Meanwhile, by
right of both the strategic location and resources and the unique
security characteristics of the Transcaucasus, major external
powers--Russia, Turkey, and Iran--have sought to influence the
dispute according to their geopolitical interests. With the growth
of interest in the oil riches of the Caspian Sea and the increasing
engagement of Western countries, including the United States, the
risks and implications of renewed violence between Armenia and
Azerbaijan will grow. This major study will be of interest to
students, scholars, and policymakers involved with international
relations, military affairs, and the Transcaucasus.
General
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