The Caucasus under Soviet Rule

Western interest in the Caucasus has grown rapidly since 1991, fuelled by the admixture of oil politics, great power rivalry, ethnic separatism and terrorism that characterises the region. However, hitherto there has been little understanding of how these issues came to assume the importance they have today. This book examines the impact of Soviet rule on the Caucasus, focusing in particular on the period from 1917 to 1955. It investigates the impact of Soviet policies, including assimilation, cleansing, repression and collectivization; describing fully the role of great power rivalry in the region, often even then fixated on oil; and demonstrates how the constituent nationalities of the region came to re-define themselves across time. Important questions arising from this period are considered, including how the Soviet Union created 'nations' out of the diverse peoples of the North Caucasus, the true nature of the 1917 revolution, the role and effects of forced migration in the region and how Islamic radicalism came to assume the importance it continues to hold today. Overall, this book is a detailed examination of the effects of Soviet rule on the Caucasus, and is of importance to all those concerned with the history and politics of the region.Marshall, Alex is the author of 'The Caucasus under Soviet Rule', published 2009 under ISBN 9780415410120 and ISBN 0415410126.