Borders and Brethren

Borders and Brethren
Author: Brenda Shaffer
Publisher: MIT Press
Total Pages: 278
Release: 2002-10-02
Genre: History
ISBN: 9780262264686

The Azerbaijani people have been divided between Iran and the former Soviet republic of Azerbaijan for more than 150 years, yet they have retained their ethnic identity. The collapse of the Soviet Union and the emergence of an independent Azerbaijan have only served to reinforce their collective identity. In Borders and Brethren, Brenda Shaffer examines trends in Azerbaijani collective identity from the period of the Islamic Revolution in Iran through the Soviet breakup and the beginnings of the Republic of Azerbaijan (1979-2000). Challenging the mainstream view in contemporary Iranian studies, Shaffer argues that a distinctive Azerbaijani identity exists in Iran and that Azerbaijani ethnicity must be a part of studies of Iranian society and assessments of regime stability in Iran. She analyzes how Azerbaijanis have maintained their identity and how that identity has assumed different forms in the former Soviet Union and Iran. In addition to contributing to the study of ethnic identity, the book reveals the dilemmas of ethnic politics in Iran.

Azerbaijan's Geopolitical Landscape

Azerbaijan's Geopolitical Landscape
Author: Farid Shafiyev
Publisher: Charles University in Prague, Karolinum Press
Total Pages: 148
Release: 2020-12-01
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 802464391X

Being located between the Black and Caspian seas, Azerbaijan has always been the juncture of Eurasia—with a traditional reputation as a crossroads between the north-south and east-west transport corridors—and the traditional ground for competition between numerous regional and global players, using both soft and hard power. With its vast hydrocarbon energy reserves, Azerbaijan is a country of particular importance in the South Caucasus. The region’s complex geopolitics have immensely influenced Azerbaijan’s foreign policy strategy. With the dissolution of the USSR, Azerbaijan, as a new state with fragile security, found itself in a complicated situation surrounded by regional powers like Iran, Russia, and Turkey. The book is built around several major foreign policy issues faced by the Republic of Azerbaijan since it regained its independence in 1991. These major issues include the conflict with Armenia and related matters, the relationship with the West, as well as the complexities arising from its relationship with Russia and its ties to Muslim countries, such as Iran and Saudi Arabia.

The International Politics of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Conflict

The International Politics of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Conflict
Author: Svante E. Cornell
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 227
Release: 2017-01-20
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1137600063

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.

Frustrated Democracy in Post-Soviet Azerbaijan

Frustrated Democracy in Post-Soviet Azerbaijan
Author: Audrey L. Altstadt
Publisher: Columbia University Press
Total Pages: 531
Release: 2017-05-23
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 0231801416

Frustrated Democracy in Post-Soviet Azerbaijan follows a newly independent oil-rich former Soviet republic as it adopts a Western model of democratic government and then turns toward corrupt authoritarianism. Audrey L. Altstadt begins with the Nagorno-Karabagh War (1988–1994) which triggered Azerbaijani nationalism and set the stage for the development of a democratic movement. Initially successful, this government soon succumbed to a coup. Western oil companies arrived and money flowed in—a quantity Altstadt calls "almost unimaginable"—causing the regime to resort to repression to maintain its power. Despite Azerbaijan's long tradition of secularism, political Islam emerged as an attractive alternative for those frustrated with the stifled democratic opposition and the lack of critique of the West's continued political interference. Altstadt's work draws on instances of censorship in the Azerbaijani press, research by embedded experts and nongovernmental and international organizations, and interviews with diplomats and businesspeople. The book is an essential companion to her earlier works, The Azerbaijani Turks: Power and Identity Under Russian Rule and The Politics of Culture in Soviet Azerbaijan, 1920–1940.

Foreign Policy of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Foreign Policy of the Republic of Azerbaijan
Author: Jamil Hasanli
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 457
Release: 2015-12-16
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1317366174

As revolution swept over Russia and empires collapsed in the final days of World War I, Azerbaijan and neighbouring Georgia and Armenia proclaimed their independence in May 1918. During the ensuing two years of struggle for independence, military endgames, and treaty negotiations, the diplomatic representatives of Azerbaijan struggled to gain international recognition and favourable resolution of the territorial sovereignty of the country. This brief but eventful episode came to an end when the Red Army entered Baku in late April 1920. Drawing on archival documents from Azerbaijan, Turkey, Russia, United States, France, and Great Britain, the accomplished historian, Jamil Hasanli, has produced a comprehensive and meticulously documented account of this little-known period. He narrates the tumultuous path of the short-lived Azerbaijani state toward winning international recognition and reconstructs a vivid image of the Azeri political elite’s quest for nationhood after the collapse of the Russian colonial system, with a particular focus on the liberation of Baku from Bolshevik factions, relations with regional neighbours, and the arduous road to recognition of Azerbaijan’s independence by the Paris Peace Conference. Providing a valuable insight into the past of the South Caucasus region and the dynamics of the post-World War I era, this book will be an essential addition to scholars and students of Central Asian Studies and the Caucasus, History, Foreign Policy and Political Studies.

Azerbaijan in a Reconnecting Eurasia

Azerbaijan in a Reconnecting Eurasia
Author: Andrew C. Kuchins
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Total Pages: 51
Release: 2016-07-30
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1442259566

Azerbaijan in a Reconnecting Eurasia examines the full scope of Azerbaijan’s national interests in the wider Eurasian region and analyzes the broad outlines of Azerbaijan’s engagement over the coming years. It is part of a four-part CSIS series, “The South Caucasus in a Reconnecting Eurasia,” which includes studies focusing on Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and the South Caucasus.

Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan
Author: Suha Bolukbasi
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 327
Release: 2013-10-01
Genre: History
ISBN: 0857737627

Azerbaijan's Soviet and post-Soviet political history has been tumultuous and varied, particularly with regard to the struggle for independence, democracy and sovereignty. Suha Bolukbasi here illustrates how post-Stalin resilience, the tolerance shown toward subtle nationalist expression and Gorbachev's relaxation of central control from Moscow were all-in-part responsible for the initial emergence of a more liberal atmosphere in Azerbaijan. As a result, issues such as Moscow's responsibility for environmental degradation, the depletion of Azerbaijan's oil, and unfavourable terms of trade have all begun to be freely discussed. However, the Azerbaijan-Armenia dispute over Karabagh has had a dramatic impact on the political discourse. The dispute has become not only an international conflict, but one which involves the lives of more than one million refugees. This book shows how Azerbaijan's recent political history - both domestic and international - has influenced the development of the country and the history of the surrounding region.

Iran's Foreign Policy in the South Caucasus

Iran's Foreign Policy in the South Caucasus
Author: Marzieh Kouhi-Esfahani
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 222
Release: 2019-01-10
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 135138919X

Iran’s role as a regional power is more significant than many in the West may realise. The country lies between Central Asia/the Caucasus and the Gulf region on the one hand, and, on the other, between the Mediterranean/Levant region and South Asia. Many of these areas are of increasing strategic importance. This book explores Iran’s role as a regional power, focusing on relations with South Caucasus countries - Azerbaijan and Armenia. It outlines the historical context, including Persia’s rule of these countries before the nineteenth century, and discusses Iran’s approach to foreign and regional policy and how both internal and international factors shape these policies. The book assesses Iran–Azerbaijan and Iran–Armenia bilateral relations to demonstrate how those policies translate in Iran's regional and bilateral relations. The book concludes by considering how Iran's relations in the region are likely to develop in the future.

Azerbaijan's contribution to World War Two. How significant was it to the war front between 1941 and 1945?

Azerbaijan's contribution to World War Two. How significant was it to the war front between 1941 and 1945?
Author: Nizami Piriyev
Publisher: GRIN Verlag
Total Pages: 23
Release: 2021-05-14
Genre: History
ISBN: 3346406288

Essay from the year 2020 in the subject History Europe - Other Countries - Ages of World Wars, grade: A*, , language: English, abstract: This essay is about the question, "How significant was Azerbaijan’s contribution to the war front between 1941 and 1945?" To answer this specific enquiry, the topic of oil extraction in Baku will be discussed in detail, because of Azerbaijan’s incredibly high contribution of oil. The Republic’s military capacity and efficiency, as well as its human capital capabilities, with a focus on medical and technological abilities of the population, will be assessed too. To achieve these objectives, a variety of Soviet and non-Soviet sources will be employed. A specific time frame between 1941 and 1945 will be scrutinized, for this is the period when Nazi Germany and USSR combated. The purpose of this dissertation is to illustrate, using evidence and critical thought, that Azerbaijan did make a significant contribution towards the war front.