Armenia? Azerbaijan? Russia!

Marine Corps Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., then-chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, meets with Col. Gen. Zakhir Hasanov, Azerbaijan Minister of Defense, and Col. Gen. Najmaddin Sadikhov, chief of General Staff of Azerbaijani Armed Forces, to discuss the status of the relationship between the military forces of the United States and Azerbaijan at the Ministry of Defense in Baku, Azerbaijan Feb. 16, 2017. (Dept. of Defense photo by Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Dominique A. Pineiro)

Review by Bill Doughty––

In an effort to understand the flaring conflict between two former Soviet satellites, I picked up “Russia and Eurasia” by Brent Hierman (The World Today Series, 2018-2019, 49th edition; Rowman & Littlefield, 2018)., a book that predicted the current situation between Armenia and Azerbaijan, two of the three Transcaucasian Republics (Georgia being the third).

This book offers an objective and informed view of not only Armenia and Azerbaijan, but also the Russian Federation, the Commonwealth of Independent States, Western Republics, and Central Asian Republics.

Like detailed State Department and CIA studies, this book compares geopolitics, climate, ethnicity, religion, and national idiosyncrasies with maps, history lessons, and statistics.

Soldiers with the Armenian Armed Forces Peacekeeping Brigade received certification as a NATO partner following an exercise in the Republic of Armenia Sept. 15-18, 2015. The brigade earned the certification by passing the second-level evaluation of the Operational Capabilities Concept of NATO's Partnership for Peace program. The certification solidifies Armenia's capabilities to support NATO peacekeeping operations, culminating years of preparation with assistance and guidance from the Kansas National Guard through the National Guard Bureau's State Partnership Program. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Zach Sheely)

For example, Armenia is a landlocked dry highland, slightly smaller than Maryland, with a population of about three million. The language is Armenian and the religion is Armenian Apostolic Christian, from Roman Empire times. Per capita annual income is around $9,000. Armenia is east of Turkey.

Azerbaijan, by comparison, is a dry sub-tropical nation facing the Caspian Sea. It’s about the size of Maine, with a population of ten million Azeri who speak Azerbaijani and who are primarily Islamic (Shi’a), from Persian Empire influence. Per capita annual income is $17,400. Azerbaijan is north of Iran.

The primary source of conflict is the extremely mountainous and isolated area that associates itself with Armenia but which is landlocked within Azerbaijan  –– Nagorno-Karabakh, a remnant of the Ottoman Empire.

Armenian Americans have strong ties to Armenia.  “Amid the swirling events that ultimately resulted in the end of the Ottoman Empire, Armenians claim that 1.5 million of their people were mercilessly slaughtered by the Turks in western Armenia in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and a substantial number of them migrated to the U.S.”

Centuries of conquest carved up the region by many empires, including the Persian, Arab, Byzantine, Seljuk Turk, Georgian, Mongolian, Russian and Soviet –– which makes it remarkable that the Armenians only established their ministry of defense in 1992, creating an army equipped with tanks mainly from Soviet forces.

“The war between Azerbaijan and Armenia widened somewhat in the spring of 1992, when forces within Nagorno-Karabakh extended their control over areas formerly occupied by Azerbaijani forces. These same forces then overran Azerbaijani territory lying between Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia, creating a corridor connecting the enclave with Armenia at the post where the two territories are the closest together. This had a military significance, since Armenia, which had been shifting supplies in by air up to this point, could begin bringing supplies in by truck.”

Destruction in Armenia in 1988 (Photo courtesy USAID)

The two countries have fought over energy resources and now water resources. Their conflict is exacerbated by their cultural, historical and geopolitical differences. Both countries have confronted Communism and Islamic terrorism.

Azerbaijan, though Islamic, is fearful of the fundamental extremism of radicals in Iran. The head of state has become more autocratic, solidifying power and embracing nepotism: making his wife vice president and arranging for his son to take his place. Facing deteriorating economic woes after fixing its wealth to fossil fuel extraction, Azerbaijan has suppressed human rights and faces protests across the country. 

Armenia, meanwhile, has undergone its own form of “velvet revolution” in which the people have taken to the streets to demand more representation. But, because Armenia hosts two Russian military bases, it cannot be a full member of NATO.

A Soldier with Company A, 2nd Battalion, 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team, Idaho National Guard, fires his M240b machine gun at opposing forces during a situational training exercise at Saber Guardian July 31, 2016. (Capt. John Farmer)

Both Armenia and Azerbaijan have participated in joint exercises, including Saber Guardian, a multinational military exercise. According to DoD, Saber Guardian in 2016 included Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Canada, Georgia, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Turkey, Ukraine and the United States. “The objectives of this exercise are to build multinational, regional and joint partnership capacity by enhancing military relationships, exchanging professional experiences, and improving interoperability between the land forces from the participating countries.”

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Randy Daniels, right, with the 116th Civil Engineer Squadron, Georgia Air National Guard, works with an Armenian plumber repairing pipes in the basement of a Yerevan elderly institution during a European Command Humanitarian Civic Assistance project in Yerevan, Armenia, May 13, 2016. During the project, Airmen from the 116th Civil Engineer Squadron and the 461st Air Control Wing, wing staff, worked in partnership with the Armenian people to renovate a Yerevan elderly institution. The renovation provided crucial skill set training for the civil engineers while continuing the long-lasting friendship between the Armenian people and the citizens of the United States. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Senior Master Sgt. Roger Parsons)

The United States military has ties with both nations and has assisted in training, de-mining, and humanitarian missions.

Russian troops have moved into the region to enforce a peace treaty, with Armenians forced to leave their homes in the region they call Artsakh.

In a recent report by the New York Times: “Nearly 2,000 Russian forces will patrol the line between Azerbaijani- and Armenian-controlled regions for at least five years, under the deal brokered by President Vladimir V. Putin.”

As both countries face challenges and conflict in 2020, with thousands of casualties, Russia continues to loom large. Russia eyes the region along with China, according Hierman. 

This book helps answer questions about the future by explaining the past and showing the present differences and challenges between Armenia and Azerbaijan and situational awareness of Russia’s actions in the region.