The study of national identity as a phenomenon of collective consciousness is crucial in understanding the development of any society.  National identity is a compound term which, depending on the country, may involve one or more distinctive factors of collective mentality, such as ethnicity, language, culture, or religion. This situational nature of ethnicity makes it prone to be used for rallying individual and collective interests both within the society in question and from without.  Hence, ethnic identity can be an instrumental factor in cultivating social differences with...

Since recovering their independence in 1991, Azerbaijanis have often felt themselves to be on the defensive; not just because Armenian forces have occupied 20 percent of their country’s territory, but also because Yerevan has engaged in an international campaign to elicit sympathy for Armenia vis-à-vis Azerbaijan by seeking international recognition of what some call the Armenian genocide in 1915. Azerbaijan has won increasing international support for its view that international law requires that Armenia withdraw from the occupied territories, but Baku until very recently has remaine...

Beyond doubt, the Armenian-Turkish war that had begun and the serious military defeats of Armenia corresponded to the interests of Azerbaijan.  However, even in this crisis situation, Armenia continued to advance demands for Nakhchivan, which had now been transformed—thanks to Russia—into a matter of dispute.  As far as Soviet Russia is concerned, then it considered the Turkish advance as a historic chance for the communist seizure of power in Armenia.  On October 13, 1920, G. Chicherin wrote to B. Legran: “Ordzhonikidze reports about a possible withdrawal by the Das...