Transcaucasia, Nationalism, and Social Change: Essays in the History of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia

Among the most ancient seats of civilization, the countries of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia are today independent states struggling to establish their sovereignty and stability. When it appeared in 1983, Transcaucasia was the first scholarly comparative study of this vital and diverse region, little known to the outside world. This revised and expanded edition adds to the historical essays new work on the economic development, demographic changes, and recent political evolution of the region and explores the current problems facing these southern neighbors of Russia.The contributors to Transcaucasia, Nationalism, and Social Change use original research and archival work, combined with broad interpretative essays, to give a full picture of the historical evolution of these three states during the ancient, medieval, and modern periods. Part 1 approaches the ancient roots of Caucasian civilization and the impact of Russian rule. Part 2 looks at the rise of nationalist movements, the emergence of revolutionary parties, and the first wave of modernization of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia, while Part 3 carries the story into the Soviet period, in which profound social and economic transformations took place. The final section explores the end of Soviet rule and the emergence of independent states.Contributors are Audrey Alstadt, Barbara A. Anderson, Artin H. Arslanian, Stephen Blank, George A. Bournoutian, Nora Dudwick, Charles H. Fairbanks, Jr., Nina Garsoian, Peter B. Golden, Richard G. Hovannisian, Stephen F. Jones, Gerard J. Libaridian, Anahide Ter Minassian, L. H. Rhinelander, Mark Saroyan, Gertrude E. Schroeder, Brian D. Silver, Ronald Grigor Suny, Tadeusz Swietochowski, and R. W. Thomson.Ronald Grigor Suny is Professor of Political Science, University of Chicago.