The Roots of Geopolitical Risk: Transcaucasia

Armenia can lay claim to being one of the oldest European civilizations. The Armenians believe they are the descendants of Noah and his family of biblical fame. Armenia also claims to be the first Christian nation, adopting the religion even before Constantine did for the Roman Empire.

Early Armenian kingdoms controlled much of the territory of Transcaucasia. Military success and resulting treaties, such the Treaty of Navarsak of 484 AD, solidified Armenia’s position in the region as well as the position of Christianity in Armenia. In this Lecture we review some key provisions of that Treaty, which elevated Christianity above Zoroastrianism, the then dominant religion in the region. (We cover the historical role of Zoroastrianism during our final destination on this tour, Azerbaijan). Armenian kingdoms even spread into eastern Turkey and the Levant. Jerusalem is still home to an Armenian Quarter dating back to these times.

In the ensuing centuries Armenia became part of other empires, including Persian, Macedonian, and later Ottoman. It was at the end of the Ottoman Empire and during the chaos of World War I that the Armenian people suffered a disaster on the scale of the biblical great flood. This chapter in the nation's history has impacted the people's outlook down to the present. History is as visible and relevant as a look out one's window in the capital of Yerevan. Mount Ararat, symbolic birthplace of the Armenian nation, lies in Turkish territory since the end of World War I.

Of all the countries of Transcaucasia, Armenia probably is best known in North America and Europe on account of the impact of 20th century Armenian migration. The involvement of the United States in the wartime and postwar discussions regarding Transcaucasia is less known. The United States received a mandate over the region from the League of Nations. In this Lecture we examine the contents of the Harbord Report and selected excerpts of archival footage of General Habord’s mission to the region. The US Congress decided against further US involvement against the Report’s recommendations.

For much of the 20th century, Armenia was part of the Soviet Union. Like the rest of the Transcaucasian Soviet Socialist Republics, it managed to avoid the devastation suffered in the western regions of the USSR. The population stabilized and Yerevan benefited from its status as million-resident Soviet city. But history and regional tensions lurked below the surface. Following the breakup of the Soviet Union, Armenian forces fought with Azerbaijan over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. The events led to a closer alignment between now independent Armenia and Russia, including the stationing of Russian troops on Armenian soil.

The post-Soviet period also saw a revisiting of the tragic events of 1915. In this Lecture we explore the attempts to have those events legally classified as genocide. This includes a review of Turkish legislation which makes the likelihood of an agreement on this point seemingly impossible. History also reared its head in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. After almost two decades of the status quo, that dispute erupted once again in the year of course creation. The Caucasus region retains its reputation for turbulence into the 21st century.

Azerbaijan is sometimes referred to as the Land of Fire. Indeed, fire and other natural resources flow right out of the territory's surface! Such wonders of nature may have inspired the earliest followers of Zoroastrianism, considered the world's first monotheistic faith. We explore the spread of Zoroastrianism throughout the region during a visit to the fire temples at Ateshgah. (The prior Section on Armenia covers what happened when Christianity arrived to compete with Zoroastrianism).

A subsequent religion, Islam, spread to the region around the seventh century A.D. and has kept hold ever since. The arrival of Islam was shortly followed by the rule of the powerful Shirvanshah dynasty. As we explore that period, we investigate the split of the Islamic faith into two branches.

The Russian Empire expanded into the region in the 19th century, attracted by both resources and access to the Black and Caspian Seas. Natural resource wealth attracted international attention, investment, and settlers at the turn of the century. Excerpts from an archival film from the interwar period give us a feel for the dramatic impact which the discovery of oil had on Baku and the surrounding region.

Transcaucasia’s link to Russia led to the later integration of the region into the Soviet Union. We explore the impact of Communist ideology on the traditional ways of life, including religious practice. When Nazi Germany turned on its erstwhile ally the Soviet Union in World War II, it also almost led to the complete destruction of the Baku area. Natural resource wealth proved to be a blessing and a potential curse.

Baku retained its strategic significance in the postwar era, literally fueling the rebuilding of the Soviet economy. The industry continues to finance Azerbaijan’s economy and society following the secession of the country from the Soviet Union. In this Lecture we trace the political transformation of the country and its geopolitical reorientation.

Today the main challenge is the equitable distribution, rather than the protection, of the revenue from the nation's natural resource wealth. That, and the resurfacing of a historical land dispute with Armenia, hang over the country's otherwise bright future. We explore each topic in turn in this final Lecture in the series on Transcaucasia.