Inter-Ethnic Conflict in the Trans-caucasus: A Case Study of Nagorno-Karabakh

Abstract

This chapter reviews the economic, social, historical-cultural and political factors contributing to inter-ethnic conflicts in the Transcaucasus. Specific analysis of the present situation is a task for a separate study — which in today’s rapidly changing situation, could become obsolete within months or even weeks. I shall therefore focus on identifying trends in the development of the conflicts and underlying causal factors. Some of the latter have already had their effects, while others continue to play a role or are likely to influence future development in the region. The Karabakh crisis is the most acute and complex of the Transcaucasus conflicts, and was therefore selected to illustrate the conclusions proposed by the author.¹ Many aspects of this conflict have close analogues in other arenas of conflict in the USSR as well.