Consequences Of Soviet Ethnic Federalism In The South Caucasus

The roots of Islam in the beliefs and thoughts of the people of the Caucasus region go back to the seventh century and have evolved over the centuries through various developments. The creation of the alleged “Green Belt” by the USA during the Cold War also promoted Islamic tendencies in the peripheral regions of the Soviet Union. After the military attack of the Soviet Army on Afghanistan, Islamist movements found greater opportunities to enjoy the support of the USA against the Soviet Union. The resurgence of Islamic trends in the Middle East and West Asia affected the Caucasus region as well. The conditions created by the implementation of Gorbachev’s reform policies were also favorable for Islamism. As the ethnic policies of the Soviet Union and the “ethnic federalism” of the communist system were entering the last stage, Islamism was strengthened by using the space created by the implementation of Glasnost. The study of the effects of ethnic-racial policies of the Soviet Union on the political-military trends in the Caucasus, after its collapse, is the aim of this review. The main question of this paper is: “What effect has the legacy of ethnic policies of the Soviet Union had on the political-military developments of the South Caucasus, considering the factor of “Islam”?" The hypothesis is that: “The legacy of ethnic federalism in the Soviet Union has had a direct and immediate impact on the political-military developments of the South Caucasus, and the Islamic factor is an intervening variable.” The study employs a qualitative method with a descriptive-analytical approach, using resources available in libraries and Internet.