Historical Background of Traditionalism and Geopolitical Modernism  of Russia in Caucasian policy

Russia has a great influence opportunity in determining the direction of development of the geopolitics and the economy of the modern world. Russia became one of the main countries with its natural-economical potential, territorial borders, standard of development, geopolitical area and so on. At the moment any solution regarding global political and economical matters cannot be considered reliable, or passed without the participation of Russia. Safety guarantees of the modern world are out of the question without the participation of Russia. That is why it assumes such great geopolitical importance, to determine which stand Russia will take, to be clear which direction Russia will show its interest while determining the architecture of the modern world, determining global political, economical and security problems. 

Russia is able to create the way to break off acute polarity, blockings, to form global mutual and useful collaboration on a world wide scale.

The present policy of Russia doubtless is formed on economical possibilities, territorial and human potential, interests and security factors. But there is a traditional factor in Russian policy lasting from many centuries ago up to the present and this traditional factor must be taken seriously into account while determining the policy of the country. This is an expansionism which holds main place in the policy realized against foreign countries. Over time certain adaptations, innovations and modernism elements, democratization solicitations in Russian policy can be seen according to the situation. But most elements presented as a political modernism serves to cover different forms of expansionism and show themselves differently.

Together with political modernism, the existence of historical-traditional political elements can be seen clearly in the South Caucasian policy of that country.

 However, the subjects of historical conservatism and modernism have not been the subject of separate investigations in the defining of Russian policy in the Southern Caucasus region. Therefore, though this subject covers a long period its findings can be significant for the study of Russia and Caucasus study in order to gain concrete results.

The expansionist policy of Russia regarding the Southern Caucasus` starts from the middle of XVIII the century. However, the consecutive  implementation of this expansionism starts from the early years of the XIX century. Russia began to implement an overt expansionist policy against the Southern Caucasus showing its superiority over the Southern Caucasus with its military-economical potential on the one hand and  its political integration being very weak in world political panorama on the other  and as a result of this Russia was able to place the Southern Caucasus under its occupation without any barrier.

During the Tsar rule gave way to the application of other forms of expansionism in order to strengthen military expansionism in the Southern Caucasus. It includes the following forms:

-          Political expansionism. The  Southern Caucasus was completely subordinate  to the policy of Russia and even the local management was charged to the reliable representative of Moscow. National differences, conservative local management forms, and political activities were put under serious surveillance.  Superiority was given to the military-political management form of Moscow

-          Religious expansionism. attention was extended to the strengthening  of Christianity  and subordination of the religion to the policy of Moscow. Moves were made to strengthen the tolerance of the population, objections being wrong against Moscow towards  of Islam and Christianity.

-          Economical expansionism. All the economical potential of the region was subordinated to the interests of Moscow

-          Ethnic expansionism.   They began to increase, artificially, the number of Russian speaking people in the region.  Many Russians were moved, especially to the borderline of Iran and Turkey and separate Russian settlements were formed. The  Russian population was increased in big cities and they began to be employed, on a large scale, in the ruling of cities.

-          Moral expansionism.    The development of education and medicine received little attention. The population was mostly illiterate.

After the disintegration of the Tsar Russia, Azerbaijanis, Georgians and Armenians who comprised the majority of   the Southern Caucasus set up  their independent  states. Though the Bolshevik forces, who seized power by means of a revolution in Russia considered the independence of peoples as their policy, they began again to implement an expansionist policy against the Southern Caucasus. As a result of this, the republics of the Southern Caucasus which had existed for two years fell again under of occupation of Russia.

The Russia Bolshevik state made an attempt to bring a degree of modernism to its policy. In reality the essence was the same and the Southern Caucasus fell under occupation of Russia again.  Modernism elements in the policy of Bolshevik Russia showed itself in the following:

-          It was clear that the republics of the Southern Caucasus had joined Russia voluntarily as did other republics and the USSR was formed with volunteer participation.  It was also declared that the republics of the Southern Caucasus were sovereign and had the right to leave the USSR any time they wished. Elements of political democracy increased, suffrage was issued, and national constitutions were accepted.

-          levels of education and medicine, in the humanitarian field, were raised, and improvement took place in the fields of culture and art.

However, the expansionist policy of Russia against the Southern Caucasus did not rise. It showed itself in the following ways:

-          Everything from the political point of view was subordinated to the interests of Moscow. The political freedoms, declared for the nation, changed into formal statements. The right to elect and to be elected was implemented with direction from the centre, local authorities were limited, the right of sovereignty was taken out of the hands of the nations, pluralism and free-thinking were prohibited.

-          Everything was subordinated to the communist idea in an ideological field. The intention to export communism to the whole world had been the basis of its ideology, the development of national moral values had been limited, the creation of Soviet man according to common moral values was drawn to the centre of attention.

-          Free operation in the economical field was prohibited, all economical activities were subordinated to the interests of the Moscow, all economical relations were regulated by the centre. 

After the disintegration of the USSR Russia had to accept the independence of the republics of the Southern Caucasus.  Political-diplomatic relations were formed with these republics, the sovereignty and territorial integrity of these republics was ratified.  In any case, Russia had taken certain steps  to form relations on the basis of international norms with these republics either in the economical field or political one. All of these are new steps in the formation of mutual terms. Together with this, the expansionism policy still remains in the Southern Caucasus policy of Russia and this policy shows itself in different forms.

-          In the political field. Russia does not wish to reconcile with  the disintegration of the USSR yet and especially does not accept the republics of the Southern Caucasus as states possessing equal rights and assumes that it has the control right on these states. These states are drown into different organizations in order to diminish their political independence, different political powers inside of the country are being supported and they want to influence the political panorama of the country.

-          In the global arena. The acceptance of decisions which do not meet with the interests of Russia are being influenced in different international organizations, jealousy is demonstrated toward the broadening of international relations of the region.

-          In the economical field. Russia subordinates economical objects to itself with buying on the one hand and intends to keep the region dependent on Russia and with fuel resources on the other.

-          In the ethnic field. Russia tries to keep the region under its control by supporting ethnic conflicts in the region and limits the rapid development of the republics.

-          In the military field. Russia aims to strengthen control of the region by having military bases in the region.  It also uses the  opportunity to strengthen control here by selling weapons to the region.