Publication

This paper assesses the roots of instability in, and the prospects for, the North Caucasus. It provides an historical account of the role of the North Caucasus in earlier Russian and Soviet imperial history and examines the evolution of the Russian government’s post-Soviet policies. The paper pays particular attention to the Islamic strand in local resistance movements and in society generally, showing that Russia's Muslims have been divided among themselves almost as sharply as any other element in the North Caucasus community. The paper concludes with recommendations for urgent shifts in policy towards the North Caucasus, aimed at the Russian government and the European Union.