ABSTRACT
The chapters in this study have sought to examine present as well as potential conflicts in the Caucasus, and the role of the four main outside actors that influence events and developments in this distressed region of the world. Each chapter, except the first two chapters, has concentrated upon a specific conflict or country; however, most events and processes treated in one chapter have a bearing or influence on the issues of most other chapters. The Chechen war would hardly have happened-at least not in the manner it did-had it not been for the unrest and separatist conflicts in the South Caucasus; likewise, Russia’s policy might have looked different had Turkey not been in a process of increasing its military capabilities while desiring to extend its economical and political influence over the southern rim of the former USSR. One can also argue, for example, that a resolution to one of the conflicts in the South Caucasus will have distinctive implications for the negotiating process in the other two.
