New nations rising

Two leading experts describe in vivid detail the indomitable forces of nationalism reshaping the countries of the former Soviet Union and offer crucial insight into the likely future of the region. Nadia Diuk and Adrian Karatnycky have traveled extensively throughout the region to talk firsthand with important political leaders, and they provide the first in-depth look at the new European and Asian order emerging. Their trenchant analysis of the resurgent nationalist impulse and the collapse of the Union explains why the Baltic states were so defiant and why Ukraine was so embittered, why Armenia and Azerbaijan exploded in ethnic violence, and why all these forces erupted in the Union when they did. Bringing the story up to the present, the authors provide the first extensive profiles of the problems and prospects of the 15 new nations and address such vexing questions as: How will all these new countries get along? What new alliances and rivalries will be forged among them? Which countries are likely to be friendly to the West and what can the West do to foster the development of democracy in the region? Which countries are in control of nuclear weapons and what role are they likely to play in the future? What is the new Russia like and how are the reforms likely to develop there? Essential reading for anyone interested in how the collapse of the Soviet Empire is shaping the new political world.