From Conflict to Autonomy in the Caucasus: The Soviet Union and the Making of Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Nagorno Karabakh

by Arsène Saparov

From Conflict to Autonomy in the Caucasus analyses the relation of the Soviet nationality policy and modern ethnic conflicts in the post-Soviet space. The book explains why the Bolsheviks granted autonomous status to ethnic minorities in the South Caucasus, focusing in particular on Abkhazia, Nagorno-Karabakh and South Ossetia. By looking at the reasons why autonomy was awarded to these ethnic groups, the book highlights the roots of the modern conflicts in the Caucasus.

Largely based on original Russian language sources and archival materials from the region, the book brings together two periods that are usually studies separately the period of the Russian Civil War 1917-1920 and the early Soviet period 1921-1936 in order to understand the roots of the Bolshevik decision-making policy when granting autonomies. By studying the cases from the Caucasus the book contributes to the general understanding of the early Soviet nationality policy. It is also a useful contribution to our understanding of the current conflicts that engulfed the Caucasus region since the 1990s.

Genres: Soviet Union, History, Nonfiction

200 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2014

Reviews

[José Lopes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Para um tempo e espaço históricos tão complexos e sujeitos a variadas interpretações, o autor consegue apresentar uma excelente análise do Cáucaso no século XX, recorrendo a uma devida contextualização.
O que de melhor há a destacar é, efetivamente, a excelente divisão do conteúdo, para além de uma metodologia de trabalho muito clara, que permite ao leitor absorver e, mais importante, compreender o que lhe está a ser comunicado.
Muito bem.