20th century: from independent to Soviet ...

20th century:
from independent to Soviet Azerbaijan

After the Russian Revolution of 1917, Karabakh briefly became part of the Transcaucasian Federation, but this soon dissolved into separate Armenian, Azeri, and Georgian states. Azerbaijan declared sovereignty over the province, and sought to secure its claims with help from the Ottoman Empire.

In 1920, South Caucasus was taken over by the Bolsheviks who, in order to attract Armenian public support, promised that they would allot Karabakh to Armenia, along with Nakhchivan, and Zangezur (the latter separates Nakhichevan from Azerbaijan proper) . However, Moscow also had far-reaching plans concerning Turkey, hoping that it would, with a little help from Russia, develop along Communist lines. Needing to appease Turkey and Armenia at the same time, Moscow agreed to a division that transferred Zangezur to Armenia, while leaving Karabakh and Nakhchivan as parts of Azerbaijan. As a result, the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region was established within the Azerbaijan SSR in 1923.

Most of the decisions on the transfer of the territories, and the establishment of new autonomous entities, were made under pressure from Stalin, who is still blamed by both Azeris and Armenians for arbitrary decisions made against their national interests.

With the beginning of the dissolution of the Soviet Union in the late 1980's and early 1990's, the question of Nagorno-Karabakh reemerged. Complaining about 'forced Azerification' of the region, the majority Armenian population, with ideological and material support from Armenia, started a movement to transfer it to Armenia. In November 1991, following the Karabakh Armenians' declaration of secession from Azerbaijan, the Azerbaijan Parliament retaliated by removing the autonomous status of the region. In response, the Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians held a referendum on December 10, 1991, with the overwhelming majority of them voting for outright independence. The minority Azeri community of Nagorno-Karabakh boycotted the referendum, however.

The spiralling conflict led to violent actions against Armenians living in Sumgait, Baku, and elsewhere in Azerbaijan, and against Azerbaijanis living in Vardenis, Masis, Ghukark, and other regions of Armenia. As a result, a vast number of Azerbaijanis in Armenia, and Armenians in Azerbaijan (except for Nagorno-Karabakh) were displaced. A land war between Armenia and Azerbaijan followed this civil violence.


by Mushfig Farziev