Stalin's Shadow on Russia’s Caucasus Politics Cover Image

Rusya’nın Kafkasya Siyaseti Üzerindeki Stalin Gölgesi
Stalin's Shadow on Russia’s Caucasus Politics

Author(s): Abdullah Temizkan, Elchin Suleymanov
Subject(s): Political history, Post-War period (1950 - 1989), Inter-Ethnic Relations
Published by: İzmir Kâtip Çelebi Üniversitesi, Sosyal ve Beşeri Bilimler Fakültesi
Keywords: Caucasus; Stalin; Eurasianism; Soviets Union; Ethnic Problem;

Summary/Abstract: The aim of this work is to underline the fact that the historical origins ofethnic and political problems in the Caucasus region were partially laid by Jozef Stalin. It also aims to demonstrate that Russia uses these inherited problems to legitimize its military, political and cultural presence in the region. This study discusses analitically Russia's policies that persist from Tsarist and Soviet era up to now in the Caucasus. Thus, we will try to show that Russia has policies with historical background rather than conjunctural policies of the Caucasus. After the World War II, Jozef Stalin, who constantly intervened in the ethnical structure and natural borders of the Caucasus, turned this region into a convolute set of problems. A key role in solving these artifically created problems has given to the Soviet Union(today’s Russia). According to this scenario, autonomous republics should be convinced that the problems in the region could not be solved without the Soviet Union. The old Soviet elites, who never imagined that the Soviet Union could collapse, has made the present-day Russia open to foreign intervention, but gave Russia a useful tool in foreign relations as long as it kept its military strength.

  • Issue Year: III/2017
  • Issue No: 2
  • Page Range: 139-162
  • Page Count: 24
  • Language: Turkish