A cultural history of a people split in two by the forces of imperialism, this study examines the long-standing Russian-Iranian division of the land west of the Caspian Sea. The author explores the diplomatic history of Azerbaijan and the strength of ethnic identity which remains.

Russian Azerbaijan, 1905 1920 describes the rise of national identity among the Azerbaijanis - the Turkic-speaking Muslims of Russia's borderland with Iran - at the opening of the twentieth century. The principal focus is on the period from the Russian Revolution of 1905, when the Azerbaijanis began to articulate their national aspirations, until the establishment of the Soviet Azerbaijani Republic in 1920. The central theme of the book is the emergence of ideas, and then actions, that would create a new collective identity among the Muslims - a sense of nationality."

The history of Azerbaijan is a chronology of its domination. Its most recent ruler was the USSR, but Azerbaijan has been within the boundaries of many conquerers from the Medians to Alexander the Great to the Arabs and Turks. Through the long history of foreign occupations, the Azeris have preserved a national identity and they have periodically generated local leaders. With the recent break up of the USSR, Azerbaijan can once again assert itself as an independent nation. Strategically located and of economic interest to other nations, Azerbaijan cannot be ignored. The Azeris are united by...