"In Black Garden, Thomas de Waal tells the full story of this tragic quarrel and its aftermath for the first time. He travels the length and breadth of Armenia and Azerbaijan, talking to veterans, refugees and the inhabitants of ruined towns and villages. He recreates the story of the descent into conflict of two former Soviet neighbors, its disastrous consequences and the confused efforts of the "Great Powers" - Russia, France and the United states - to bring peace to the Caucasus."--BOOK JACKET.
The book examines all relevant models which have been employed in settling ethno-territorial conflicts since the time of the League of Nations. Eight of these models have been studied in-depth. The aim of this analysis is to gain expertise and insights that could prove relevant to resolving the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh. This potential is evaluated in the closing chapters of the volume where novel ideas on how to apply the lessons of these cases to the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh are presented. This conflict carries many features typical of ethno-territorial conflicts in present and past times: it is neither unique, nor does its settlement depend on others than the parties to the conflict. Rather it is – as in all other cases – entrenched historical narratives and enemy images which lead to zero-sum calculations and can conceivably only be overcome in a gradual process. Content Part I Nagorno-Karabakh and ethno-territorial conflict settlement Part II Case studies of ethno-territorial conflict settlement: Åland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, South Tyrol, Trieste, Cyprus, Northern Ireland, Quebec. Part III Results and conclusions: A way out for Nagorno-Karabakh The Editors Dr Azer Babayev is Assistant Professor of Political Science at ADA University, Baku. Dr Bruno Schoch is Associated Researcher at PRIF (Peace Research Institute Frankfurt), Frankfurt/Main. Dr Hans-Joachim Spanger is Head of the Dissemination Division at PRIF (Peace Research Institute Frankfurt), Frankfurt/Main.
The Caucasus region, situated on a natural isthmus between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, has long been a border zone and a melting pot for a diverse range of cultures and peoples. As the intersection between Europe and Asia, and also - tween Russia and the Ottoman and Persian Empires, it has featured in the strategic plans of numerous great powers over the centuries. Given its abundance of natural resources, the ready-made raw material transport routes to Europe and its enduring position on the edge of Russia, nothing has changed to the present day. The tremendous development opportunities of the Caucasian region are being tarnished by unresolved territorial conflicts that put a continual and regionally balanced growth, sustained democratisation and long-term stability at risk. These conflicts, which all erupted with the dissolution of the Soviet Union, include the separatist movements in Abkhazia, Chechnya, Nagorno-Karabakh and South - setia. The war over South Ossetia, which erupted between Russia and Georgia in August 2008, spelt out the explosive potential still inherent in these conflicts.
"This collection of articles from the Soviet and Russian press paints an intriguing portrait of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Unlike Western media outlets, this conflict has been a mainstay in the Soviet, then Russian press. The present collection of articles--carefully translated, edited, and culled from a vast repository of Russian-language press curated by East View--presents in book form for the first time in English some of the most important material that has appeared from 1988 to the present. By bringing together this unique collection, East View Press aims to provide readers with the immediate context of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict through the lens of Moscow, along with some insight into its complex historical, political and ethnic underpinnings. Black Garden Aflame will be of interest to specialists and general readers alike"--
The idea that suicide may be an acceptable, rational option is rarely presented in professional literature. However, recent events and developments forcefully demonstrate that mental health professionals can no longer ignore the possibility that people can make a rational decision to die. After introducing the concept of rational suicide, the book explores the changing views of suicide over the centuries. Common arguments against rational suicide are examined and rebutted.
This book frames the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh in the context of European and international security. It is the first book to focus on the politics of the conflict rather than the dispute itself. Since their emergence twenty years ago, this and other “frozen conflicts” of Eurasia have been affected by transformations in European security, and many ways absorbed into an ever fiercer geopolitical struggle for influence. The wars in Georgia and Ukraine brought greater attention to some unresolved conflicts, but not to the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. As the contributors to this volume argue, the conflict merits much greater European attention, for several reasons: it is on a path of escalation, existing mediation regimes are dysfunctional, and as both Georgia and Ukraine have showed, any outbreak of serious fighting will force the EU to respond. This book thus explains the interlocking interests of Russia, Turkey, Iran, the EU and United States in the conflict, and analyzes the negotiation process and the conflict’s international legal aspects.
A military study of the 2020 war between Armenia and Azerbaijan—the first war in history won primarily by unmanned systems. Fought over the course of forty-four days, the Second Nagorno-Karabakh war resulted in a decisive military victory for Azerbaijan. Armenia lost even though they controlled the high ground in a mountainous region that favored traditional defense. In 7 Seconds to Die, military consultant and historian John Antal examines the decisive factors of the war and their implications for the future of armed conflict. The fact that Azerbaijan won the war is not extraordinary, considering the correlation of forces arrayed against Armenia. What is exceptional is that this was the first modern war primarily decided by unmanned weapons. The Turkish-made BAYRAKTAR TB2 Unmanned Air Combat Vehicle (UCAV) and the Israeli-made HAROP Loitering Munition (LM) dominated the fighting and provided Azerbaijan with a war-winning advantage.
This book considers the possibilities for resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict in the context of comparative international law. The armed conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the territory of the Nagorno-Karabakh has been on the peace and security agenda since the dissolution of the Soviet Union. This volume draws parallels with a similar situation between Sweden and Finland over sovereignty of the Aland Islands in the early 20th century. Resolved in 1921, it is argued that this represents a model autonomy solution for territorial conflicts that include questions of territorial integrity, self-determination and minority rights. The book compares both conflict situations from the international law perspective, finding both commonalities and dissimilarities. It advances the application of the solution found in the Aland Islands precedent as a model for the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict, and provides appropriate recommendations for its implementation. The book will be of interest to academics, researchers and policymakers in the areas of international law and security, conflict resolution and international relations.
This book examines the underlying factors of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in the South Caucasus from 1905 to 1994, and explores the ways in which issues of ethnicity and nationalism contributed to that conflict. The author examines the historiography and politics of the conflict, and the historical, territorial and ethnic dimensions which contributed to the dynamics of the war. The impact of Soviet policies and structures are also included, pinpointing how they contributed to the development of nationalism and the maintenance of national identities. The book firstly explores the historical development of the Armenian and Azerbaijani national identities and the overlapping claims to the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. The author goes on to assess the historical link between ethnicity and territorial location as sources of ethnic identification and conflict. He examines how identity differences shaped the relationsa between Armenians and Azerbaijanis during the different phases of conflict and presents a detailed historical account of Soviet nationalities policy and ethno-territorial federalism - the basis of which ethnic relations were conducted between governing and minority nations in the south Caucasus. This invaluable book offers students and scholars of post-Soviet politics and society a unique insight into the causes and consequences of this long-standing conflict.
