Azerbaijan since Independence By Svante E. Cornell M.E. Sharpe, New York, January 2011, 483pp. Azerbaijan Since Independence offers a comprehensive introduction to modern Azerbaijan, a post-Soviet republic located on the western shore of the Caspian Sea. This small country has outsized importance due to its strategic location at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, its energy wealth, and its historical experience as an early modernizer in the Muslim world. The book begins with six chapters on Azerbaijan’s history from pre-Soviet times to the present, with an emphasis on the past twenty years. The next four chapters are thematic, covering the conflict over Karabakh, the political system, the oil-dominated economy, and societal changes and trends including the role of Islam. The remainder of the book surveys Azerbaijan’s foreign relations, with an analysis of the foreign-policy-making context complemented by chapters on relations with Iran, Russia, Turkey, and the West. The book closes with a brief epilogue discussing the country’s future.

Contents: 

Preface............................................................................................ix
Maps and photos follow page xi

1. Azerbaijan Before Soviet Rule........................................................3

2. Soviet Azerbaijan........................................................................31

3. The National Revival and the Road to Independence......................46

4. The Rise and Fall of the Popular Front...........................................60

5. The Aliyev Era: Restoring Stability................................................81

6. Ilham Aliyev’s Azerbaijan...........................................................104

7. The Shadow over Azerbaijan: Karabakh......................................126

8. Politics and Power in Azerbaijan..................................................162

9. Azerbaijan’s Economy: The Primacy of Oil...................................199

10. Azerbaijani Society: Identity, Modernity, and Tradition................253

11. Caucasus Context: Formulating Foreign Policy............................297

12. Iran and the “Other” Azerbaijan................................................318

13. Russia, the Resurgent Imperialist.............................................338

14. Turkey, Best Neighbor or Big Brother?......................................359

15. Azerbaijan and the West..........................................................392

16. Epilogue.................................................................................427

Bibliographical Note......................................................................430

Notes..........................................................................................434

Index..........................................................................................472

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Praise for Azerbaijan since Independence:


"This book is an outstanding guide to the modern history, behind-the-scenes politics and strategic dilemmas of Azerbaijan, a pivotal but poorly understood country in the volatile Caucausus region, on the threshold to Central Asia and the Greater Middle East. Azerbaijan's energy boom has led to breath-taking economic growth and important Western stakes in its energy sector, yet the country is still in search of its identity after decades of hibernation as a Soviet republic. Azerbaijan was one of the countries where the collapse of the Soviet Union was not peaceful, and the unresolved Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with Armenia still poses significant dangers far beyond the borders of the Caucasus. These issues need to be on the agendas of Western policy-makers."
-- Peter Semneby, EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus

"A thoroughly researched, scholarly, balanced, and very readable account of a highly complex subject: Azerbaijan, the linchpin country of the Caucasus, in the pre-Soviet, Soviet, and post-Soviet eras. Highly recommended."
    --Thomas Goltz, Montana State University, author of Azerbaijan Diary and director of The New Silk Road Project

"The book provides a very handy and reliable overview of the late Soviet and early independence period. Cornell pinpoints major figures, events, and trends that had obvious repercussions in the following years. His presentation is concise and accessible to readers with little background in the region or in Soviet history. He draws helpful parallels to historical cases, such as Istanbul in the early twentieth century, and to contemporary cases like the Balkans."
  --Audrey L. Altstadt, University of Massachusetts Amherst, author of The Azerbaijani Turks