Baku:A presentation ceremony for the book ‘The War for Karabakh Strategy, Technology, and Victory,’ authored by retired US Army Colonel Liam Collins and Major John Spencer, took place in Baku. The event was jointly organized by the Center for Analysis of International Relations and Multiculturalism (CAIRM) and the Baku Book Center.
According to Azeri-Press news agency, the event featured extensive discussions on Azerbaijan’s military-strategic victory in the 44-day Patriotic War, its impact on modern warfare, and the factors of national power that contributed to the victory. The authors detailed the preparation process, research areas, and findings of the book, which was developed over approximately two years.
The book challenges the belief that Azerbaijan’s victory was solely due to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), highlighting a broader combination of factors such as national power, state-building, economic development, military planning, and modern combat concepts. Liam Collins emphasized that the victory resulted from a long-term strategy implemented over more than 20 years, while John Spencer pointed out that the human factor, rather than technology, was crucial in winning wars.
During the research for the book, the authors visited battlefields, including the decisive Battle of Shusha, and conducted interviews with numerous military operation participants. Their work provides a critical analysis of the military operations, illustrating the battles on maps and examining the influence of simultaneous operations on the war’s overall course.
The publication is noted for being one of the first comprehensive military studies prepared abroad on Azerbaijan’s victory in the 44-day war, involving specialists from the West Point Military Academy. It covers the historical roots of the Karabakh conflict, the First Karabakh War, and subsequent military-political developments. The book underscores the importance of Azerbaijan’s Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev in strategic military management and communication efforts.
Collins and Spencer conclude that military success is not solely achieved on the battlefield but is supported by factors such as national power, state-building, economic potential, and strategic communication. The book presents Azerbaijan’s victory as an example of mobilizing national power components within a unified strategy in the modern era.