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U nder the impact of glasnost and perestroika, nationalism, long a serious potential threat to Soviet political life, has become the principal force affecting the future of the Soviet state. Regions as diverse as the Baltic republics, Central Asia, and the Caucasus have experienced unrest ranging from mass demonstrations against perceived injustices to intercommunal massacres. What is the relationship between political reform and nationalist mobilization? Why have the numbers of those supporting nationalist movements grown so explosively under present conditions? This paper explores these issues through an analysis of the dynamics of change in Soviet Moldavia. It focuses on the 1987-1989 period, during which popular mobilization in that republic was most intense.l As has become increasingly evident thanks to improved access to Soviet information, most Western analyses through the early 1980s grossly underappreciated the extent of regional divergence within the USSR. While institutional similarities and common patterns of conduct were present, in some respects political behavior also diverged markedly from republic to republic. Clearly, the specific conditions of each locality must be taken into account for a comprehensive understanding of Soviet nationality politics. Not only have some republics experienced massive nationalist upheaval while others remain relatively stable in comparison, but the internal configurations of nationalist movements vary between republics, along with the demands generated by them. Still, while recognizing the importance of local conditions, an effort must also
W. E. L. H. Crowther (Mon,) studied this question.