THE CAUCASUS IN THE GEOPOLITICAL STRUGGLE: 200 YEARS AGO RUSSIAN TROOPS CAPTURED BAKU

Abstract

The geopolitical rivalry over the Caucasus has continued into the third millennium; new chessmen have joined the old ones (Turkey, Iran, and Russia) on the "Caucasian chessboard." The newcomers-the European Union, the U.S., Japan, China, and the Southeast Asian countries-have plunged into a game that has been going on for some time. Amid the unfolding rivalry, Azerbaijan is developing into the dominant element in the Caucasian geopolitical game. The fight for Baku as the key to the region's resources and territorial riches goes back into the past. The author tells the story of the rivalry over Baku, the "window to the Caucasus."