Sovereignty issues in the Caucasus: contested ethnic and national identities in Chechnya, Abkhazia, and South Ossetia

Authors

  • Vasili Rukhadze Kent State University, Kent , Kent State University, Kent
  • Glen Duerr Cedarville University, Cedarville , Cedarville University, Cedarville

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.11649/sn.2016.003

Keywords:

Chechnya, Abkhazia, South Ossetia, secession, terrorism

Abstract

The issue of sovereignty has been at the forefront of regional politics in the Caucasus since the dissolution of the USSR in 1991. In particular, the Russian government has approached various—seemingly similar cases—in very different ways. Although each specific region examined—Chechnya, Abkhazia, and South Ossetia—is unique, the nature of ethnic and national identity has been framed differently by the Russian government. In Chechnya, the Putin administration has framed any outstanding separatist claims in conjunction with terrorism and national security issues. In Abkhazia and South Ossetia, the Putin administration has instead noted the need for “liberation.” The outcome has been to stifle secessionist desires in Chechnya, while supporting those same secessionist desires outside of Russia’s borders, in Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

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Published

2016-08-02

Issue

No. 48 (2016)

Section

Specific Nationalisms

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Copyright (c) 2016 Vasili Rukhadze, Glen Duerr

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