Victim of a “War of Ideologies” : Azerbaijan after the Russia–Georgia War

Abstract

The August 2008 war between Georgia and Russia affected many of the Commonwealth of Independent States’ domestic politics, including Azerbaijan’s. The war significantly changed Azerbaijanis’ perceptions of the democratic West and negatively impacted their perceptions of the United States and the European Union. Meanwhile, the war forced Azerbaijan to strengthen its security measures, for fear political instability. More important, the crisis was portrayed as a “war of ideologies” between the Moscow backed sovereign democracy and the U.S.-backed unmanaged democracy in Azerbaijan. Georgia’s defeat and the subsequent political turmoil demonstrated the viability and stability of the sovereign democracy and made the Russian model of governance more attractive to the people of Azerbaijan.