Product details
- ISBN 9781501787928
- Dimensions: 152 x 229mm
- Publication Date: 15 Jul 2026
- Publisher: Cornell University Press
- Publication City/Country: US
- Product Form: Paperback
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Blue Sea, Black Gold, Red Banner tells the story of the historical connections between two geographically distant and culturally distinct regions on the edges of Europe: Scandinavia and the South Caucasus. From the late nineteenth century, maritime trade fostered new commercial links and consular relations. Scandinavian merchants, particularly in Batumi and Baku, played key roles. The discovery of oil along the Caspian Sea shores attracted Scandinavian entrepreneurs, notably the Swedish Nobel family, helping to develop Baku into a booming industrial hub.
Tom Trier focuses on the years of upheaval surrounding World War I and the collapse of the Russian Empire, when Georgia – along with Armenia and Azerbaijan – briefly emerged as an independent republic. The four-decade relationship ended abruptly during the Bolshevik Red Army's invasion of the South Caucasus from 1920 to 1921. Drawing on both Scandinavian and Georgian perspectives, Blue Sea, Black Gold, Red Banner examines how Nordic merchants, consuls, and diplomats navigated the shifting political landscape and how Georgia's social democratic leadership looked to neutral Scandinavia as a gateway to broader European political, diplomatic, and economic engagement.
Tom Trier, a Danish scholar, has lived in the Caucasus region for two decades and served in various research positions and diplomatic roles. His published works focuses particularly on regional conflict and displacement issues.
