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THE LOGIC OF ARMED CONFLICTS IN THE SOUTH CAUCASUS
Abstract
This study presents an analytical framework for understanding the conflict in one of the most dangerous regions of the world – the South Caucasus. This article follows the logic of qualitative research to “scale down” and trace the bellicose aspects of armed conflict. The overall objective of this research is to identify the necessary and sufficient conditions for the transformation of conflicts into armed conflicts in Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Nagorno-Karabakh. I argue that armed conflict in the South Caucasus is the outcome of a decision made by political leaders in order to impose, institutionalize, and legitimize their rule over a territory. The research focuses on an assessment of the extent to which ethnicity is merely a convenient common dominator to mobilize ethnic groups in the struggle over resources, land, or power.
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References15
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