http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/authors/130/salvatore-j-freni Inquiries Journal provides undergraduate and graduate students around the world a platform for the wide dissemination of academic work over a range of core disciplines. en-us Wed, 10 Jun 2026 07:03:27 -0400 Wed, 10 Jun 2026 07:03:27 -0400 http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/731/the-soviet-nationality-policy-in-central-asia By Salvatore J. Freni - The Soviet nationality policy for Central Asia in the early twentieth century was an acceleration of the processes of modernization that the Russian Empire had already begun. However, building socialism in a region where no working class existed and intellectuals based their knowledge primarily on religious texts presented inherent challenges. The primary means of identification for an individual lay within a particular tribe, valley, or oasis rather than in the Western concepts of ‘nationality’ or ‘ethnicity.’ Expanding over an enormous territory and inhabited by a multitude... Tue, 26 Mar 2013 08:24 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/731/the-soviet-nationality-policy-in-central-asia http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/725/regime-change-processes-in-the-republic-of-georgia-challenges-to-stability-and-democracy By Salvatore J. Freni - Of the three states in the South Caucasus, Georgia has experienced the most political instability since the collapse of the USSR. Some scholars even described the country in the immediate aftermath of independence as a failed state. Despite the political elites’ denunciation of the Soviet authoritarian regime, it seems that the nature of political power in the Republic of Georgia still closely resembles that of its predecessor. In its twenty years of existence, Georgia has experienced three regime changes. The first was the struggle for independence, led by Zviad Gamsakhurdia who in turn... Mon, 11 Feb 2013 09:33 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/725/regime-change-processes-in-the-republic-of-georgia-challenges-to-stability-and-democracy http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/722/causes-of-violent-conflict-in-the-caucasus-since-the-collapse-of-communism By Salvatore J. Freni - Nonetheless, the Abkhaz retained the highest proportion of positions in their local government over all other ethnicities in Abkhazia. Like Abkhazia, Adyghea was named after its local Adyghe or Circassian ethnic group, but does not make up a majority there and their ethnic-brethren are also found in Karachai-Cherkessia and Kabardino-Balkaria (Rezvani 2008). Neither Adyghea nor the other territories where Circassians are present erupted in conflict, despite significant mobilization based on Circassian identity. The lack of demands for separatism among the Circassians could have to do with the dispersed... Tue, 22 Jan 2013 10:10 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/722/causes-of-violent-conflict-in-the-caucasus-since-the-collapse-of-communism http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/182/examining-the-radicalization-of-chechen-separatists-during-the-resistance-movement By Salvatore J. Freni - The Chechen people have endured a long history of aggression, culminating at the end of the twentieth century during which a separatist struggle against Russia began, triggering the First Chechen War in 1994. At the onset of the Second Chechen War however, it became apparent that Chechens were engaging in a different kind of warfare. In September of 1999, over 300 people were killed when Chechen terrorists destroyed apartment complexes in Moscow, Buinaksk, and Volgondosk. In 2002 and 2004, terrorists took hostages in a Moscow theater and in a middle school in Beslan, resulting in enormous massacres... Wed, 24 Feb 2010 09:03 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/182/examining-the-radicalization-of-chechen-separatists-during-the-resistance-movement