The Fire Below How the Caucasus Shaped Russia

Contributed by leading experts, this unique study looks at the impact of the Caucasus on the development of the Russian Federation and its influence on the evolution of Russia's federal relations. Essays first examine the effect of the two Chechen wars on the evolution of Russia's political system, from Georgia's involvement in the Caucasian wars to the arrival of Jihad in the North Caucasus. They also explore the ensuing expansion of the Kremlin's -and Putin'spower and Russia's policies towards Islam in the region. The security, political, and environmental challenges posed by the Olympic Games in Sochi are discussed as this project, strongly supported by Putin, has caused indigenous population to unite in protest and outrage. The book concludes by looking at how Russia's recentralization has brought on regional problems of political corruption and Islamist extremism that in turn contribute to authoritarian trends in Russian federalism.This groundbreaking work highlights the complex dynamics between the Caucasus and the Federation, demonstrating how Russian politics have been profoundly affected by developments in the North Caucasus since 1980.

Robert Bruce Ware is Associate Professor of philosophy at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, USA. He has taught at Oxford University, the University of Buckingham, the University of New Mexico, the University of Texas at El Paso, and Texas A&M University at Corpus Christi. Since 1996, he has conducted field research in the North Caucasus with support from the National Research Council, the National Council for Eurasian and Eastern European Research, and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

IntroductionRobert Ware1. The Federation in Crisis? A Historical ComparisonAlexander Marshall 2. A Thorn by Any Other Name: Georgian Origins of Russia's Caucasian Crises Patrick Armstrong3. Political Debate, Public Accountability, and Civil-Military Relations in Russia: The Impact of the Russian-Chechen WarsMark Kramer4. Russia's War, Putin's Power James Hughes 5. Caucasian Crescent: Russia's Response to Radical IslamDomitilla Sagramoso 6. Blowback?: Chechnya and the Evolution of Russian PoliticsRichard Sakwa.7. The Little Game: The North Caucasus As an Arena of Interstate RivalryNicholai Petro8. Putin's Dream, Russia's Nightmare: The Sochi 2014 Winter OlympicsWalter Richmond9. The Circassians and the Sochi OlympicsJohn Colarusso10. Has the Russian Federation Been Chechenized? Robert Ware