Much has been written of the titanic clashes between the Wehrmacht and the Red Army at Stalingrad. This volume tells the other, equally important half of the story of Fall Blau (Case Blue). Learning from their experiences during the sweeping advances of Operation Barbarossa a year before, Wehrmacht commanders knew that Nazi Germany's lack of oil was a huge strategic problem. Seizure of the Caucasus oilfields, which were responsible for 82% of the Soviet Union's crude oil, would simultaneously alleviate the German army's oil shortages whilst denying vital fuel resources to the Red Army. Whilst Army Group B advanced along the Volga towards Stalingrad, Army Group A, spearheaded by Ewald von Kleist's elite Panzerarmee 1 was to advance into the Caucasus to seize the oilfields of Maikop, Grozny and Baku. Featuring full-colour artwork, archival photos and detailed analysis, this book follows the vicious, intense fighting that characterised one of the most important campaigns of World War II.

The impact of oil and oil-related interests on economic, social and political conditions and development for the next century holds implications that reach from the Caspian heartland to the world's most distant shores. This book is the first attempt to present an exhaustive overview of the origins and development of the Caucaso-Caspian oil and gas industry. The commercial role of oil in the light of world market developments is related to its political value in the eyes of local Azerbaijani, Turkmen, Kazakh powerbrokers as well as their Russian, Turkish, European and American counterparts.

The Battle for the Caucasus (July 1942-October 1943) coincided in time with the Stalingrad and Kursk battles, and played an important role in bringing about a radical change in the course of the Second World War.In this book the prominent Soviet military commander, Marshal of the Soviet Union Andrei Grechko, gives a stage-by-stage account of the heroic Battle for the Caucasus: the heavy fighting in the Don and Kuban steppes, the battles on the Stavropol Heights and in the foothills of the Caucasus, the defense of Novorossiisk, Krasnodar, Maikop, Tuapse and Armavir and the destruction of the enemy forces in the passes of the Main Caucasian Range.Signs of an impending turning-point appeared in January 1943 when divisions and then armies went over to the offensive driving the enemy out of Stavropol, Kransodar and the Kuban. Like a mighty mountain torrent the entire mass of Soviet troops swept the Germans out of the North Caucasus. It was a magnificent display of the power of Soviet arms, and the fraternity and friendship of the Soviet peoples.The author objectively examines every phase of the great battle and reinforces his conclusions with documents.

In "South Caucasus 2021" a team of international experts address the most vital issues of the region. They offer their perspectives on topics such as territorial conflicts, oil and natural gas resources, and pipeline politics, and provide important analysis of the geopolitical complexities of the region and the risks they pose in the coming decades. The authors also look at the volatile political state of the Caucasus-Caspian Basin, the role of religion, and demographic and migration prospects, and discuss the policy courses charted by the superpowers in response to developments within the region. Featuring chapters by Dmitri Trenin, Udo Steinbach, Ariel Cohen, Mustafa Aydin, Robert M. Cutler and others, as well as an introduction by Dr. S. Frederick Starr, "South Caucasus 2021" seeks to address not just where the region has been, but also where it is headed in terms of its security, intra- and extra-regional relations, as well as political and economic development. The book is essential reading for students and researchers of post-Soviet history and Caucasus studies, sociology, Caspian Sea politics, political science and international relations, and areas of energy and economic issues.

Any understanding of the complex politics of the post-Soviet Caucasus presupposes an understanding of the relationship between the transportation of Azerbaijan's oil, inter-state relations and ethnic conflicts. Energy and Security in the Caucasus is a contribution to the debate revolving around the geo-politics of the Caucasus.

"Oil is the source of wealth and economic opportunity. Oil is also the root source of global conflict, toxicity and economic disparity. In his groundbreaking book The First World Oil War, Timothy C. Winegard argues that beginning with the First World War, oil became the preeminent commodity to safeguard national security and promote domestic prosperity. For the first time in history, territory was specifically conquered to possess oil fields and resources; vital cogs in the continuation of the industrialized warfare of the twentieth century."--