ABSTRACT
No part of Russia has had a more turbulent history than the Caucasus. Ruled in turn by Scythians, Persians, Romans, Arabs, Khazars, Mongols and Turks, it fell between 1800 and 1900 under Russian control. Consisting of many tribes speaking a variety of languages, the Caucasus was a source both of fierce national resistance- to Russian rule and of revolutionary activity against the Tsar. Stalin was born at Gori in Georgia in 1879
