Routledge From Conflict to Autonomy in the Caucasus - Central Asian Studies

This groundbreaking historical work examines the creation of ethnic autonomies in the Caucasus during the 1920s, a critical transitional period as the Russian Empire transformed into the Soviet Union. The book challenges prevailing assumptions about Soviet leadership's deliberate design of ethnic autonomies within republics, offering the first comprehensive historical analysis of how these administrative divisions were actually established. By studying Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Nagorno Karabakh, the author provides essential context for understanding the violent ethno-political conflicts that erupted seventy years later. Rather than accepting conventional blame placed on Bolshevik and Stalinist policies, this Routledge publication critically re-examines the historical record and motivations behind these crucial political decisions. Essential reading for scholars, students and anyone seeking to understand the complex roots of Caucasian regional tensions and Soviet administrative history.