The development of nationalism in Azerbaijan: A history

The increase of ethnic conflicts has created security challenges for the international community. In the Caucasus, the subject of this study, the collapse of the Soviet empire led to a resurgent nationalism. This analysis treats both historical and contemporary nationalism in the Caucasus, beginning with confrontation in the early 1900s among Armenians, Georgians and Azerbaijanis. The historic hostilities between Armenians and Azerbaijanis over Nagorno-Karabakh have been renewed, and the historic roles of the regional players--Russia, Turkey, and Iran--come into play in the tense Armenian-Azerbaijani relationship. The study concludes that extreme nationalism in Azerbaijan has had a negative impact on efforts to build a viable state: political and economic development have suffered as resources are spent on waging a war. An additional finding is that the country needs to refocus efforts from national conflict to national development, an area in which the international community can play a positive role.