Soviet Nationality Policy and National Identify in the Transcaucasian Republics: Drawing Together or Tearing Apart?

Abstract : This paper will discuss Soviet nationality policies and specifically the characteristics and effects of these policies in the three Transcaucasian republics of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. Through the use of demographic and linguistic data, a general assessment of the effectiveness of the Soviet attempt to erase national distinctions will be made. Did Soviet nationality policy in Transcaucasia encourage the ethnic groups to unify, or did these policies help to tear the USSR apart by sowing the seeds of nationalism?