Introduction

Historically, the South Caucasus is known for its complex political, economic, social, religious-cultural and ethnic structure, as well as its geographically and politically important position. It is not a coincidence that during both world wars the South Caucasus was at the centre of a hub of interests and caught the attention of the parties involved; the peoples living in this region greatly suffered as a result of these international conflicts. The complexity of the South Caucasus is conditioned not only by international conflicts and interests but also by the frequent conflicts between, and contrasting interests of, the states – or state units – within the region, as well as the various ethnic groups contained there.