Mountain Fortress

Abstract

For forty-four days in the fall of 2020, Armenians and Azeris fought a bitter war for control of Artsakh, also known as Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan’s victory upset the region’s uneasy status quo and plunged the South Caucasus into a renewed state of uncertainty. While the most recent war was fought with twenty-first century weapons, the roots of the Armenian-Azeri conflict over Artsakh stretch back well over a century. In order to unravel the causes behind Azerbaijan’s invasion last fall, this thesis delves into the history behind the present conflict, engaging both with Artsakh’s ancient past as well as the more recent developments that have shaped the region in the post-Soviet era. This thesis also offers a comprehensive account of the war, examining the factors behind Azerbaijan’s military success. In doing so, this thesis seeks not only to offer insights into past events, but also to identify the political dynamics that will continue to influence the region in the years to come.