State and Sovereignty in the Armenian Experience

In this overview of the evolution of Armenian political thought, Dr. Gaïdz Minassian considers the factors that have both shaped a strong Armenian identity and detracted from the development of foundational sovereignty and statehood. Perpetually caught in the shifting borders of much larger empires, Armenia’s political development has undoubtedly been shaped by external forces but as Minassian points out, state building requires deeper introspection and a commitment to allegiances and institutions that have been largely lacking in the Armenian experience.

Originally published February 2023.

About the speaker

Gaïdz Minassian

Dr. Gaïdz Minassian is a journalist at Le Monde and a professor of Political Science at Sciences Po Paris. He is the author of several books on international relations, including The Armenian Experience: From Ancient Times to Independence (2020) and Les sentiers de la victoire, peut-on encore gagner une guerre? (2021), for which he was awarded the Maréchal Foch prize by the Académie Française.

Gaïdz Minassian