Black Garden: Armenia and Azerbaijan Through Peace and War

“Brilliant.”—Time  “Admirable, rigorous. De Waal [is] a wise and patient reporter.”—The New York Review of Books  “Never have all the twists and turns, sad carnage, and bullheadedness on all side been better described—or indeed, better explained…Offers a deeper and more compelling account of the conflict than anyone before.”—Foreign Affairs  Since its publication in 2003, the first edition of Black Garden has become the definitive study of how Armenia and Azerbaijan, two southern Soviet republics, were pulled into a conflict that helped bring them to independence, spell the end the Soviet Union, and plunge a region of great strategic importance into a decade of turmoil. This important volume is both a careful reconstruction of the history of the Nagorny Karabakh conflict since 1988 and on-the-spot reporting of the convoluted aftermath. Part contemporary history, part travel book, part political analysis, the book is based on six months traveling through the south Caucasus, more than 120 original interviews in the region, Moscow, and Washington, and unique historical primary sources, such as Politburo archives. The historical chapters trace how the conflict lay unresolved in the Soviet era; how Armenian and Azerbaijani societies unfroze it; how the Politiburo failed to cope with the crisis; how the war was fought and ended; how the international community failed to sort out the conflict. What emerges is a complex and subtle portrait of a beautiful and fascinating region, blighted by historical prejudice and conflict.      The revised and updated 10th-year anniversary edition includes a new forward, a new chapter covering developments up to-2011, such as the election of new presidents in both countries, Azerbaijans oil boom and the new arms race in the region, and a new conclusion, analysing the reasons for the intractability of the conflict and whether there are any prospects for its resolution. Telling the story of the first conflict to shake Mikhail Gorbachev's Soviet Union, Black Garden remains a central account of the reality of the post-Soviet world. Thomas de Waal has reported on Russia and the Caucasus since 1993 for the Moscow Times, The Times of London, The Economist, and the BBC World Service. He is currently Senior Associate, Caucasus at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. His publications include, most recently, The Caucasus: An Introduction (Oxford University Press).  

"Brilliant."-Time,

"Admirable, rigorous. De Waal [is] a wise and patient reporter."-The New York Review of Books,

"Never have all the twists and turns, sad carnage, and bullheadedness on all sides been better described-or, indeed, better explained…Offers a deeper and more compelling account of the conflict than anyone before."-Foreign Affairs,

"This book is a major milestone in the Western scholarship on Karabakh."-Armenian Freedom Network,

"This book is helpful because in order to craft a final resolution to the conflict, one must understand what events transpired in the first place. De Waal's book significantly contributes to this purpose and establishes itself as one of the standard works for understanding this conflict."-Parameters,

Brilliant. Time Admirable, rigorous. De Waal is] a wise and patient reporter. The New York Review of Books Never have all the twists and turns, sad carnage, and bullheadedness on all side been better described or indeed, better explained Offers a deeper and more compelling account of the conflict than anyone before. Foreign Affairs Since its publication in 2003, the first edition of Black Garden has become the definitive study of how Armenia and Azerbaijan, two southern Soviet republics, were pulled into a conflict that helped bring them to independence, spell the end the Soviet Union, and plunge a region of great strategic importance into a decade of turmoil. This important volume is both a careful reconstruction of the history of the Nagorny Karabakh conflict since 1988 and on-the-spot reporting of the convoluted aftermath. Part contemporary history, part travel book, part political analysis, the book is based on six months traveling through the south Caucasus, more than 120 original interviews in the region, Moscow, and Washington, and unique historical primary sources, such as Politburo archives. The historical chapters trace how the conflict lay unresolved in the Soviet era; how Armenian and Azerbaijani societies unfroze it; how the Politiburo failed to cope with the crisis; how the war was fought and ended; how the international community failed to sort out the conflict. What emerges is a complex and subtle portrait of a beautiful and fascinating region, blighted by historical prejudice and conflict. The revisedand updated 10th-year anniversary edition includes a new forward, a new chapter covering developments up to-2011, such as the election of new presidents in both countries, Azerbaijan s oil boom and the new arms race in the region, and a new conclusion, analysing the reasons for the intractability of the conflict and whether there are any prospects for its resolution. Telling the story of the first conflict to shake Mikhail Gorbachev's Soviet Union, Black Garden remains a central account of the reality of the post-Soviet world. "

Thomas de Waal has reported on Russia and the Caucasus since 1993 for the Moscow Times, The Times of London, The Economist, and the BBC World Service. He is currently Senior Associate, Caucasus at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. His publications include, most recently, The Caucasus: An Introduction.

ContentsAuthors Note ixPreface to the Revised Edition xiiiTwo Maps, of the South Caucasus and of Nagorny Karabakh xviii-xixIntroduction: Crossing the Line 11. February 1988: An Armenian Revolt 112. February 1988: Azerbaijan: Puzzlement and Pogroms 303. Shusha: The Neighbors Tale 464. 1988-1989: An Armenian Crisis 565. Yerevan: Mysteries of the East 746. 1988-1990: An Azerbaijani Tragedy 837. Baku: An Eventful History 968. 1990-1991: A Soviet Civil War 1089. Divisions: A Twentieth-Century Story 13910. Hurekavank: The Unpredictable Past 15811. August 1991-May 1992: War Breaks Out 17212. Shusha: The Last Citadel 1969780814760321_de waal_text.indd 7 4/23/13 9:08 AMviii•CONTENTS13. June 1992-September 1993: Escalation 20714. Sabirabad: The Childrens Republic 22915. September 1993-May 1994: Exhaustion 23716. Stepanakert: A State Apart 25217. 1994-2001: No War, No Peace 26218. Sadakhlo: “They Fight, We Dont” 27919. 2001-2012: Deadlock and Estrangement 284Conclusion: Seeking Peace in Karabakh 305Appendix 1: Statistics 325Appendix 2: Chronology 329Notes 341Bibliography 367Index 375About the Author 387All illustrations appear as a group following p