Abstract
On the morning of 20 December 1994 Russians awoke to newspaper claims that a ‘regiment of the Taman motor rifle division is [was] to be sent to Chechnya’.1 This news marked the manifestation of a new chapter in bilateral relations between the ailing superpower and the upstart republic, signifying the continuation of a century-long struggle. Freaks of geography have forced upon the Caucasus states a strategic importance which transcends their borders. To the east and west, the area is framed by the Black and Caspian Seas respectively, whilst the northern border is formed by the Kuban and Kuma rivers, the southern border is provided by the Kura river. The region lies at the crossroads between Asia and Europe, a confluence for traders and merchants; to the Europeans it provided vital access to the fabled riches of the Orient, to the merchants from the East it provided a gateway to the markets of Europe.
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Notes
M. A. Smith, A Chronology of the Chechen Conflict, Conflict Studies Research Centre, June 1995, p. 16.
B. Gokay, ‘Chechens Make Fearsome Enemies — Historical Background of Russia’s Agelong Fight in Chechnya’, Cambridge Review of International Affairs 1994/1995, pp. 80–8.
L. Blanch, The Sabres of Paradise, New York, 1984, p. 1.
N. Riasanovsky, A History of Russia, Oxford, 1993, p. 337.
M. Galaev, The Chechen Crisis: Background and Future Implications, Conflict Studies Research Centre, June 1995, pp. 2 and 17.
B. Gokay, ‘Caspian Uncertainties: Regional Rivalries and Pipelines’, Perceptions, March–May 1998, p. 12.
C. Gall and T. De Wall, Chechnya — A Small Victorious War, London, 1997, p. 128.
L. Blanch, The Sabres of Paradise, New York, 1960, p. 188.
A. Lievan, ‘Beyond the Victory’, War Report, February-March 1998, p. 78.
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© 2001 Palgrave Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited
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Towner, A. (2001). The Russians, Chechens and the Black Gold: a Geo-economic Explanation for the Chechen War. In: Gökay, B. (eds) The Politics of Caspian Oil. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780333977637_7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9780333977637_7
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