The Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict 1988-1994 From Communal Violence to Civil War: The Role of Democracy and Political Entrepreneurs

This paper examines underlying reasons behind communal violence and civil war and attempts to explain the role of political entrepreneurs in escalating communal violence to civil war. The author tests his theory against the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh between Armenians and Azerbaijanis. The paper argues that communal violence transitions to civil war when and if political entrepreneurs are present in an environment absent of democracy. In this regard, the author elaborates on the role of these two variables: political entrepreneurs and the absence of democracy.