The Voice of Mirza Xazar: Category Karabakh

Provocative Referendum in Karabagh

Mirza Khazar — Sun, 10 Dec 2006 06:12:43 -0500

Provocative Referendum in Karabagh
By Faruk Akkan, Cihan News Agency, Moscow
Sunday, December 10, 2006
zaman.com

The Nagorno Karabagh region, the separatist Azerbaijani territory under Armenian occupation, held an independence referendum Sunday.

The referendum can be compared to those in Moldova’s Transdinyester and Georgia’s South Ossetia regions.

Azeri foreign minister Elmar Mehmedyarov called the referendum a disappointing move for the attempts to maintain peace in the region.

The minister warned that any referendum held prior to the return of the Azeri population removed from the region since the occupation would not be fair and legitimate.

Pro-Western GUAM (Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Moldova) countries criticized the Karabagh referendum. The jointly issued statement raised concerns that the referendum would deteriorate the overall situation in the region.

Recalling that the referendum had no legal basis, the statement further noted that it would constitute a beach under Azerbaijan’s constitution and international law.

After a meeting in Minsk, Azeri and Armenian leaders had announced their optimism about peace. This referendum held at a time when prospects for a workable peace were most likely since the truce accord of 1994 raises serious concerns.

The Nagorno Karabagh region declared de facto independence from Azerbaijan after the dissolution of Soviet bloc in 1990. With its own army, flag, and government, the region acts like and independent state.

The international community recognizes the region as part of Azerbaijan. Russia has often threatened that if regions seeking independence through referendums were not recognized by the United Nations, it would veto Kosovo’s attempt to declare independence in the U.N. Security Council.

Roughly 140,000 Armenian residents in Karabagh depend on financial aid of the Armenian diaspora in Russia and Western countries.

No significant progress has been in the region since the truce. People have trouble meeting fundamental needs, such as heating, shelter and food.

The armed conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan erupted in the late 1980s. While more than 35,000 died in the fighting, nearly 1,000,000 Azeri had to migrate from the region. The refugees are trying to survive in camps under dire conditions and are looking forward to return to their homes.

(Zaman.Online)

“Echo”: Armenians Dislike Azerbaijanis and Turks Most of All

Mirza Khazar — Thu, 21 Sep 2006 15:18:00 -0400

At the Same Time Insisting on Opening Frontiers with Turkey 21.09.2006 Gallup poll (personal interview, 2000 respondents) was held in Armenia in spring 2006 by request of one of the governmental institutions of the USA (no name is mentioned). As poll materials gathered by “Regnum” informs, US government got following answers to the questions: - The attitude of Armenian population towards Russia (good – 79,6%), towards USA (good – 49,0%), towards Turkey (not good – 80,1%), towards Georgia (not good – 54,7%), towards Azerbaijan (not good – 86,5%); - The country which can ensure the most effective regulation of Garabagh conflict (Russia – 43,8%, USA – 33,3%, UN – 20,7%, France – 17, 9%); - The most appropriate way for regulation of Garabagh conflict (via international mediation – 41,6%, via compromise – 40,7%, force – 11,5%); - The best way of solving of Garabagh problem (Garabagh should be part of Armenia – 49,5%, Garabagh should be independent – 46,9%); - The necessity of referendum on status of Nagorni Garabagh (yes – 55,2%, no - 21,6%); - Who should be involved with referendum on status of Nagorni Garabagh (only present population of Garabagh – 56,7%, any other people – 15,6%, only refugees from Garabagh – 15,3%, population of Garabagh of 1991- 5,6%, people of Azerbaijan and Armenia together – 5,3%); - The necessity to open Armenian-Turkish frontier (yes – 57,7%, no – 33,3%). Head of Azerbaijani social service “Pulse -R”, Roman Shulman, gave his own opinion concerning answers of Armenian citizens. “Good attitude of Armenians towards Russia is easy to explain as Russia systematically provides Armenia with weapons. And Russia claims for neutral mediation while everyone knows that Putin has got the key of fair regulation of Garabagh problem. It is easy to understand why Armenians’ attitude towards Russian Federation is better in comparison with that of towards USA, as priorities of Azerbaijan are connected with USA. Official visit of President, Ilham Aliyev to Washington, direction of energetic projects, GUAM activities prove it. As for referendum in Nagorni Garabagh, recently we witnessed similar action in Transdnestr, and in this connection Armenian citizens give priority to Armenians living in Nagorni Garabagh only, where actually there is no Azerbaijani. That is, no referendum is needed for this. Now they declare that Armenians of Garabagh voted for independence or for annexation with Armenia. Sociology investigates problems which are in the depth and vague in order to clarify public attitude towards them. But here everything is clear. Problems should be solved only in accordance with accepted decisions of UN. Moreover, role and importance of Azerbaijan is rising at international level. That is why this poll has no interesting nuances”. On the one hand in general Armenians have no good attitude towards Turkey – 80,1%, on the other one, they prefer to open frontiers with this country – 57,7%. There exist contradictory political and economic peculiarities. Independent economist-expert Inglab Ahmadov explained situation for “Echo”. “First of all on the level of society and separate individual, such negative attitude towards Turkey on the part of Armenia is explainable. This feeling has been instilled in every Armenian. And even if they are not sincere, there is something in them that says – I, as Armenian, should answer this way only. In this case they associate themselves with patriots, the part of nation which experienced suffering. It is psychological, social or most likely cultural, historical aspect. As for frontiers issue I suspect that Armenians think about economic aspect, that is, if it will be profitable or not for Armenia. With all their antipathy to Turkey, at the level of government and NGO experts, they always say that it is necessary. And if it depended on them, the frontiers would have been opened. Turkey itself is hesitating but it still adheres the principle of not-opening frontiers with Armenia. In this situation common and social-economic factor plays its role. In this part of answer the matter concerns people who suffer from uncomfortable conditions taking into account deficiency of commodity flow. And it directly concerns family budget”. Leader of Humanistic Party of Azerbaijan, political scientist, Oktay Atakhan, stresses that “in Armenia even poll holding suffers from game of politics. Some given data do not reflect the sentiments of Armenian population, particularly, their trust towards Russia and USA. Most likely it is message for America to show that Armenia prefers Russia. Actually even during Soviet period Armenian had very negative attitude towards Russia and Russians. And I believe that this attitude hasn’t been changed with time. Present poll is a politics designed to frighten USA with increase of Russian impact, and to make USA to invest in Armenia, to support Armenia. It is another game. The so-called Armenian sociologists could make these figures themselves, as they perfectly blend with position of Armenian Government at international level. There is no reflection of any views of internal opposition, it is game of politics”. R. Orujev www.echo-az.com

HISTORY OF KARABAKH: ESTABLISHMENT OF THE MKAR (Mountainous Karabakh Autonomous Region)

Mirza Khazar — Fri, 25 Feb 2005 12:36:00 -0500

ESTABLISHMENT OF THE MKAR (Mountainous Karabakh Autonomous Region)

Though, the question of Karabakh's belonging to Azerbaijan was solved, serious disagreements emerged during the discussion of the concrete forms of the autonomy and its borders. To the contrary of the Armenian communists, the Azerbaijanian communists, headed by Narimanov, didn't want to separate Karabakh and to hold ethnic segregation between the Armenians and the Azeris. On September 26, 1921 the Karabakh issue was discussed again in the Politbureau and Orgbureau of the CC AzCP with participation of Narimanov, Kirov and others. Taking into account the complexity of the socio-political, cultural and economic aspects of the Karabakh issue this session adopted a decision: «To request the Kavburo to review its decision about detaching he Mountainous Karabakh, and not to declare the autonomy until that»6. The final solution of the issue was delayed till summer 1923. On June 1923 the Presidium of the Central Committee of the AzCP adopted a new decision: «To consider detaching Karabakh, both upland and lowland, to one administrative unit»7. However, such decision didn't satisfy some Armenian communists. They, headed by the chairman of the Azerbaijan Trade-unions Soviet, member of the special commission on Karabakh L.I. Mirzoyan, posed the issue in the Transcaucasian Comittee (Zakkraykom) of the RuCP, which «advised» the Central Committee (CC) of the AzCP to establish autonomy on only the mountainous part of Karabakh. On July 1 the Presidium of the CC AzCP had to change its recent decision and decreed: «To request the AzCEC [i.e. Central Executive Committee] to decree (on behalf of the Presidium) the autonomy of the Mountainous Karabakh, having created from it an Autonomous Karabakh region with center in Khankendi and with the executive committee in the head»8. At this time, as a result of «cleansing» there was left no influential Azeri-communists, who could hamper this hidden Armenian policy aimed and its division and depersonalization of Azerbaijan. Narimanov was effectively distanced from Azerbaijan after being elected to the CEC of the USSR, where, in fact, he had no real influence to the events in Azerbaijan. All the real power in Azerbaijan was concentrated at the hands of the Russian and Armenian communists (Kirov, Mirzoyan and others). On July 7, 1923 the special commission on Karabakh hold a session, which decided to create a regional administration with center in Aghdam, consisted of the lowland parts of the Karabakh districts, left from the detachment of the Mountainous Karabakh.9 On the same day, there was published the decree of the CEC of the AzSSR «On establishment of the autonomous region of the Mountainous Karabakh». The decree said: «...Azerbaijan Central Executive Committee of the Soviets decrees: To create from the Armenian part of the Mountainous Karabakh an autonomous region as a constituent part of the Azerbaijan SSR with center in Khankendi [it was soon renamed Stepanakert, after Stepan Shaumyan, «great Armenian Bolshevik» of the Baku commune]; The organs for administration of the autonomous region will be the regional executive committees (ispolkoms) and the local communes (sovety)»10. On July 16, 1923 the Presidium of the Central Committee of the AzCP decided to include some lands of the Skobelevsky community and the town of Shusha, inhabited by Azeris, to the MKAR too. Soon afterwards, the special commission defined the border between the mountainous and lowland Karabakh. From the first years the Mountainous Karabakh Autonomous Region (MKAR) was established, there were conducted considerable reforms in the economic, social and cultural spheres. Along with Ganje and Nakhichevan, Karabakh was defined, as the region of priority tempos for industrialization in the republic. Special attention was paid to the firm observance of the proportionality of the national composition of all the elective organs with the population's ethnic composition in the region. Thus, in 1925-1926 Armenians constituted 89.5 % of the population of MKAR, Azeris- approximately 10%, Russians- approximately 1%, and in the Central Executive Committee Armenians constituted 88%, Azeris- 11%, and Russians- 1%.11 Thus the «Karabakh issue» was solved positively, in favor of the Armenian population of Karabakh, which was granted autonomy within the frontiers, in which it constituted the majority. Speaking in the VI congress of the AzCP in 1924 the head of the Azerbaijan SSR Kirov said: «...We finally have solved this issue [i.e. Karabakh] and, undoubtedly, have done a good work. No doubt, that, in the whole, we will not have to re-decide this issue, again»12. Despite this, the «Karabakh issue» arose again in autumn 1945, right after the end of the World War II. At that time, the Soviet Armenia's leader Arutyunov brought the issue of transfer of MKAR to Armenia in the highest instance in Moscow (the Central Committee of the All-Union CP). In his letter on this occasion, Arutyunov claimed, that MKAR's incorporation into Armenia «would assist greatly its development and would better the administration of the economy». Arutyunov also argued that with MKAR's incorporation the Armenian SSR would get more specialists from the Karabakh region. Upon receiving Arutyunov's letter the former secretary of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party Malenkov sent inquiry to Azerbaijan's Soviet leader of the time Baguirov requesting to inform about his opinion on this suggestion from the Armenian communist party. When replying to this inquiry, Baguirov declined all the arguments in Arutyunov's letter, but at the end, diplomatically, expressed his consent to incorporate MKAR into Armenia (excluding the Shusha district, inhabited by Azeris), but with condition that three regions of the Armenian SSR adjacent to Azerbaijan and inhabited mainly by Azeris to be transferred to Azerbaijan.13 But this couldn't satisfy not only the Armenia, but also Moscow. Thus, the Armenian claims didn't succeed this time. However, after this diplomatic defeat, the Armenian leaders understood what a big obstacle was the Azeri population of Armenia on the way of their expansionist plans. They, with Mikoyan in the head, convinced Stalin of the necessity to allow resettlement of the Armenians from abroad to the Armenian SSR, and by the way, suggested to solve the housing problems that might occur with regard to this process by resettlement of the Azeris from Armenia to the few-populated regions of Azerbaijan. On December 23, 1947 there was adopted a decree of the CEC of the USSR «On the resettlement of the collective farmers and other Azeris from the Armenian SSR to the Kura-Araz lowland of the Azerbaijan SSR». According to the decree, it was planned to resettle «on voluntary principles» 100.000 people. The Armenian leadership have demonstrated a special zeal in carrying out of this task and resettled more than 150.000 people (according to some other sources approximately 240.000 people) from Armenia to Azerbaijan. Thus, the Armenian leadership achieved its goal to considerably diminish the number of the Azeri population in Armenia. Now, it was important to wait patiently a favorable moment to set forth territorial claims against Azerbaijan again. These claims were set forth in 1963 as well, when some Armenian political circles, having used the squabbles inside the communist party which came as a result of Khruschev's destalinization policy, gave Moscow a petition on behalf of 2.500 Karabakh Armenians, which claimed, that allegedly, Azerbaijan doesn't pay enough attention to the economic development of the Mountainous Karabakh and hinted towards MKAR's transfer to Armenia. At that time, Moscow not wishing to aggravate the situation and also considering the fact, that many economic indices of the MKAR didn't lag behind, and in some cases, even exceeded the average standards in the republic,14 ignored this message. Nevertheless, violence erupted in the Mountainous Karabakh in 1963 and in 1968, the victims of which became approximately 20 people. But at that time the Soviet power was strong enough to suppress and prevent such actions. In many cases, these events were not reflected even in the local newspapers, and the clashes didn't spread beyond those narrow limits in which they had erupted. In the second half of the 1980s, with beginning of the Gorbachev's era of Perestroika and Glastnost, «the Karabakh issue» became topical in the Armenian political circles again. In August 1987 the Academy of Sciences of Armenia prepared one hundred thousand-strong petition requesting to annex MKAR and Nakhichevan AR to the Armenian SSR. This petition was followed by meetings in Yerevan, which began in October 1987 and which were hold under demand of «reunification» («Miatsum») of Mountainous Karabakh and Nakhichevan with Armenia. In November of the same year Gorbachev's advisor on the economic affairs A. Aganbekyan when giving an interview to the French newspaper «L'Humanite» expressed «his own point of view», that, allegedly, the Mountainous Karabakh would be soon transferred to Armenia. Thus, the passions over the Karabakh issue continuously grew up. Soon it became clear that the artificial «union of the brother-peoples»- the USSR is not ready to the impetuous global changes, which passed beyond the limits of Perestroika and slipped away from the central government's control. This «giant with clay legs» couldn't exist with freedom of speech and the dissolution of the USSR got an irrevocable form. As it happened before, in condition of crisis of the existing system, and the lack of clear outlines of a new one, along with the national-liberation movements, the nationalistic tendencies began to grow. Already, by January 1988 the first wave of refugees from Armenia reached the capital of Azerbaijan Baku. Similar to the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Armeno-Azeri conflict got more and more irrevocable character... ________________________________________

Id. reserves1, inventory 74, folder 123, list 118/ Id. p. 13; Id. reserves 1, inventory 74, folder 132 list 110 / Id. p. 14; Id. reserves 1, inventory 74, folder 132, list 146 / Id. p. 15; Id. reserves 1, inventory 74, folder 132, list 170 / Id. «Baku worker» (Bakinsky rabochi) newspaper July 9, 1923 / Id. «Karabakh» op. cit. [21] chapter VII, p. 138; Id. 137 / also: I. Aliyev Nagorno-Karabakh op. cit.[20] p. 88; [Azerbaijan Communist] Party Archive [PAAF IML] reserves 1, inventory 169, folder 249, lists 3-6a / also: I. Aliyev Nagorno Karabakh p. 89; With regard to the economic development, the Mountainous Karabakh Autonomous Region (MKAR) really leaved behind many other regions of Azerbaijan, particularly the neighboring regions of Karabakh not included into MKAR. For example, involvement of the labor resources in the various sectors of economy in 1987 was 74 % in the whole territory of Karabakh (i.e. including the Lachin, Kelbajar and other regions of the Lowland Karabakh), whereas this figure was 85 in only MKAR. MKAR had got 36% of the industrial potential for producing consumer goods, albeit the autonomous region occupied only 25% of the territory of the whole Karabakh region and only 21% of the Karabakh population lived in MKAR (of them 25% Azeris). rves 1, inventory 125, folder 107, list 107 / Id. p. 12;

(source: karabakh.org)

HISTORY OF KARABAKH: KARABAKH WITHIN THE AZERBAIJAN SSR

Mirza Khazar — Fri, 25 Feb 2005 12:32:00 -0500

KARABAKH WITHIN THE AZERBAIJAN SSR After sovetization of Azerbaijan, Armenia, which remained independent for some time, didn't stop its attempts to annex Karabakh and other western regions of Azerbaijan. The XI Red Army was engaged more in disarmament of Azeris and reprisals over the protesters against the Bolshevik violence, rather than in protecting the civilian population from dashnaks. In summer 1920, the dashnak troops having benefited from the extremely difficult political situation that arose in Azerbaijan as a result of anti-Bolshevik riots in a number of regions, including Karabakh, attacked Zangezur, Karabakh, Nakhichevan and southern parts of the Kazakh district again. Self-defence forces with support of the XI Red Army expelled them only by the end of 1920. However, the most part of Zangezur remained under occupation. The head of the Azerbaijan SSR (chairman of the Sovnarkom) N. Narimanov informed in his telegram to Moscow in June 1920: «...As to the allegedly contested Zangezur and Karabakh, which are already part of the Soviet Azerbaijan, we categorically state, that these territories are indisputable and must remain within Azerbaijan in the future»1. Another telegram sent by Orjonikidze, the chairman of the Kavburo (the Caucasus section) of the Russian Communist Party (RCP(b)) and addressed to Lenin and to the minister (narkom) of foreign affairs of the Soviet Russia Chicherin informed: «the Soviet authority is declared in Karabakh and Zangezur and both mentioned territories consider themselves a part of the Azerbaijan Soviet Republic»2. With sovetization of Armenia on November 30, 1920 the hostilities between the parties ended but the territorial claims of Armenia to Azerbaijan gained further momentum. The December 1, 1920 declaration of the head of the Azerbaijanian Soviet leader Narimanov proclaimed that «from now on no territorial disputes can be a reason for bloodshed of two centuries-long neighboring peoples: Armenians and Muslims»3 [i.e. Azeris]. According to the same declaration, «as a jest of revolutionary solidarity» under pressure from Moscow, Zangezur was transferred to Armenia. Azerbaijan lost more than 10 thousand km2 of its territory and direct link with Nakhichevan, while Armenia increased its own territory as much as twice. Armenia laid claims also to Nakhichevan, which was occupied by the Turkish troops at that time. However, according to the Moscow Treaty signed in 1921, Turkey withdrew its troops from Nakhichevan only with condition that Nakhichevan remained a part of Azerbaijan. But Armenian territorial clams didn't ended yet. The communist leadership of Armenia demanded transfer of the mountainous part of Karabakh to Armenia and conducting a territorial demarcation based, exceptionally, on the national division. On June 27, 1921 the joint session of the Politbureau and Orgbureau of the Central Committee of the Azerbaijan Communist Party (CC AzCP) having considered these demands made a decision stating that «the suggestion to separate the territories with Armenian and Turk [i.e. Azeri] population, respectively, to Armenia and Azerbaijan from the view of the administrative and economic expediency...to consider unacceptable» and decreed: {[The only solution to the issue can be broad involvement of the Armenian and the Muslim masses to the process of the Soviet reconstruction»4. The final solution of this issue was to be discussed in the plenum of the Kavburo. On July 4, 1921 the session of the Kavburo began discussing the «Karabakh issue». In the session participated the members of the Kavburo Orjonikidze, Makharadze, Narimanov, Kirov, Myasnikov, Nazaretyan, Figatner and the member of the Central Committee of the RuCP, the commissar on the nationalities Stalin. The eighth member of the Kavburo Orakhelashvili was absent. Kavburo had to decide whether to leave Karabakh within Azerbaijan or whether to transfer it to Armenia. Narimanov, Makharadze and Nazaretyan voted in favor of Karabakh remaining a part of Azerbaijan; Orjonikidze, Myasnikov, Kirov and Figatner voted against this decision. Nazaretyan also joined the last four, when voting for conducting a plebiscite only among Armenians. According to this voting the Kavburo adopted a decision «On inclusion of the Mountainous Karabakh to the Armenian SSR». Thus, the Mountainous Karabakh was transferred to Armenia and considered its territory for almost 24 hours. But discussion didn't end here. This Kavburo decision triggered the head of the Azerbaijan SSR Narimanov's decisive protest. Having pointed out that this decision is fraught with political instability in the region, he proved it to be unjustified and demanded the transfer of the discussion to the Central Committee of the RuCP- the highest instance of the Soviet government. Narimanov's position played a crucial role in further events. On July 5 the session returned to the discussion of the «Karabakh issue». The new session made decision: «Proceeding from the necessity of national peace between the Muslims and Armenians, and economic links of the upland and lowland Karabakh, its constant link with Azerbaijan, to leave the Mountainous Karabakh within the Azerbaijan SSR, having granted it a broad regional autonomy with the administrative center in the town of Shusha included in the autonomous region»5. Definition of the concrete questions and forms of the autonomy was entrusted to the CC AzCP, stipulated with its consequent approval in the Kavburo. Today the Armenian historians write a lot that, ostensibly, the Kavburo decided to «annex» Karabakh to Azerbaijan «under pressure from Stalin». This is a substantial mistake, since the question was not about annexing Karabakh to Azerbaijan at all. The question was posed as following: to leave Karabakh within Azerbaijan or to transfer it to Armenia, and, as seen from the Kavburo's decision, it voted to «leave» (and not to «annex») Karabakh within Azerbaijan. As to the Kavburo's first decision on July 4, it should be noted that it gave no argument in favor of Karabakh's transfer to Armenia. Most probably, the Kavburo members voting in favor of Karabakh's transfer to Armenia were guided by two arguments: firstly, Armenians constituted the majority in Karabakh's mountainous part, and secondly, after war with Turkey in September 1920 the territory of Armenia considerably decreased and was not more than 10 thousand km2. Some people even noted, that by the size of its territory and population Armenia was too small to fit under the notion of not only a state, but even of a union republic. Thus some soviet leaders thought about expanding the territory of Armenia on the expense of the Azeri lands of Zangezur, eastern bank of the Gekcha lake (present-day Sevan), Karabakh and Nakhichevan. And as history showed, Armenians considerably succeeded in achieving these goals. And finally, as to Stalin and his alleged role in the Kavburo, it's not a secret that he had sympathized neither Azerbaijan, nor its leader Narimanov. Simply, he, as well as other members of the Kavburo, didn't want prolongation of the discussion and aggravation of the situation over Karabakh. Transfer of the discussion of the Karabakh problem to Moscow to the Central Committee wouldn't have satisfied many members of the Kavburo, as well as Stalin, who, at that time, had been continuously criticized for his erroneous positions regarding the national problems. All of these, as well as Narimanov's resolute position, predetermined the further discussion of the Karabakh issue. ________________________________________ Azerbaijan Central State Archive, reserves 410, inventory 2, folder (delo) 69, lists 181-187 / also: I Aliyev «Nagorno Karabakh» op cit. [20] p. 80; Archive of the MFA of USSR, folder (delo) 54882, list 20 / also: Id. p. 81; The «Communist» newspaper (in Azerbaijan) No 178, December 2, 1920; [Azerbaijan Communist] Party Archive [PAAF IML] reserve 1, inventory 74, folder 123, list 64 / also: J. B. Kouliyev «Regarding the history of the establishment of the MKAR» (Is istorii obrazovaniya NKAO- in Russian) Information bulletin of the Azerbaijan SSR Academy of Sciences (series of history, philosophy and law) No 3, p. 12, 1973; Id. rese (source: karabakh.org)

HISTORY OF KARABAKH: KARABAKH AS A CONSTITUENT PART OF THE AZERBAIJAN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC

Mirza Khazar — Fri, 25 Feb 2005 12:18:00 -0500

KARABAKH AS A CONSTITUENT PART OF THE AZERBAIJAN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC Russia's defeat in the World War I, and as a consequence of this, overthrow of the Czarism and new wave of revolutions in 1917, created conditions for the peoples of Caucasus, as well as for all other peoples of Russian Empire, to attain independence and their own statehood. But in the meantime, collapse of past power caused the outburst of anarchy in the places and intensification of the nationalist tendencies. By May 1918 when three independent republics- the Ararat (Armenian) Democratic, Azerbaijan Democratic and Georgian Democratic republics emerged in the territory of the South Caucasus, these nations were virtually in war with one another (the Azerbaijan-Georgia relationship was an exception). Under the Russian Empire the territorial-administrative division oftentimes didn't correspond to the ethnic borders. Therefore, the lack of clearly defined frontiers, among the new independent Caucasian republics aggravated their relations further. In March 1918 bloody clashes took place in Baku, which was controlled by the Bolsheviks, who surprisingly relied on the Armenian national-socialists - dashnaks. Seemingly, both of these forces used each other in their objectives and temporarily united in order to put an end to the increasing movement of Azeris trying to determine their political status and create their own state. It's notable, that the Bolsheviks' leader was also an Armenian by nationality Stepan Shaumyan, who headed the Baku Soviet. More than 10 thousand people were killed from 30 to 31 of March as a result of Azeri massacre in Baku. After Baku, the similar pogroms took place in the beginning of April in Kuba, Shemakha, Lenkoran and other places. In Kuba bolshevik-dashnak troops killed approximately 2 thousand people, the town of Shemakha was almost totally burned and leveled with earth under the command of the Armenian dashnak commanders Amazasp and Avetisov who were sent there by Shaumian's order. Even Shaumian confessed that during the March and consequent events «the fact of participation of the national units gave the civil was a character of the national carnage». He continued further: «...it was impossible to prevent this [i.e. national carnage]. We consciously allowed that...If they (i.e. «Azeris-counter-revolutionists») would gain the power in Baku, then they would have proclaimed the city the capital of Azerbaijan, and all non-Muslim elements would be disarmed and killed, Transcaucasus would be lost for Russia»4. The Bolshevik-dashnak union didn't last long. In the beginning of August so called Centro-Caspian dictatorship toppled it down, and in September Baku was liberated and became the capital of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic. While tensions in the eastern regions of Azerbaijan decreased, situation began to deteriorate in its western regions bordering Armenia, which began to lay claims to the adjacent territories of Georgia and Azerbaijan. Armenia demanded Akhalkalaki, Borchaly and the southern part of the Tiflis province from Georgia and Zangezur, Nakhichevan and mountainous part of the Yelizavetpol province including Karabakh, from Azerbaijan. Armenian territorial claims to the territories, where, in most of the cases, Armenians didn't even constitute the majority, led to Armeno-Georgian war in December 1918 and to long and bloody fight with Azerbaijan. At this time the territory of Azerbaijan was 97.3 thousand km2 (11.3 thousand km2 more than today). Besides that, there were territories on the border with Georgia and Armenia, totaling 16.6 thousand km2 that were contested (Karabakh wasn't among these territories). And if in case with Georgia the issue of contested borders was solved through peaceful negotiations, then, in case with Armenia, negotiations end up with nothing. The British journalist Scotland-Liddel, who have been in the conflict areas in the Caucasus in 1919-1920 wrote in January 1919: «On November 23 a treaty was concluded in Tiflis and there came hope, that both parties [i.e. Armenia and Azerbaijan] would live in peace until all the questions are solved by the Great Powers [in the Versailles Peace Conference]. However, immediately, almost following the signing of the treaty, Armenians, having benefited from the withdrawal of the Azerbaijanian troops, treacherously attacked the Muslims...On January 19 Armenian government troops together with local armed Armenian bands began to advance towards the Shusha district of Karabakh. All the Muslim villages, in a total number of 9, situated on their way, were demolished and most part of the population was inhumanly killed»5. In the end of 1918- beginning of 1919 situation in Karabakh and other western parts of Azerbaijan considerably aggravated. The Azeri villages of Zangezur and Karabakh were constantly undergoing attacks on the hands of the Armenian armed groups headed by the dashnak general Andranik, notoriously known for his brutalities over the civilian population yet in Turkey. By its forceful actions, Armenian government tried to strengthen it's «rights» to these territories in the eve of the Versailles Peace Conference, where all the questions regarding the borders of the South Caucasian republics should have been finally solved. Many villages of Karabakh and especially, those of Zangezur were demolished, population of some of them almost totally exterminated. The number of refugees from Armenia and from bordering regions reached 150.000 people in Azerbaijan. Shusha was almost totally in blockade and isolated from the outer world. There was a severe shortage of products in the town. In order to solve these problems Khosrov bey Sultanov was appointed to the newly created general-governor's position in January 1919. Three aides from the Azeri and three from the Armenian sides assisted the governor in his work. The general-governor-administered territories included the Shusha, Zangezur, Jevanshir and the Jebrayil districts. The Armenian authorities hurried to protest against this decision of the Azerbaijanian government and having evaluated it as «violation of the territorial rights of Armenia» appealed to the commander-in-chief of the Allied forces in the Caucasus general Thompson. But Thompson, who arrived in the Caucasus in November 1918 and had already got acquainted with the situation, recognized the legitimate rights of the Azerbaijanian government with regard to its internal affairs and also recognized the authority of the Karabakh's general-governor. In summer 1919 the situation in Azerbaijan worsened again as a result of threat of invasion of the general Denikin's White Guard Army from the north. While Azerbaijan and Georgia signed a military-defense pact on collective resistance in case of Denikin's aggression, Armenia signed a similar treaty with Denikin. In June having benefited from this situation, the Armenian armed forces again intruded into Zangezur and from there, into Karabakh. Andranik, together with his dashnaks attempted to seize Shusha three times, but each time, due to the collective efforts of the units of the National Army and local Azeri population, had to retreat. Khosrov bey Sultanov took effective measures for organizing the defense of Karabakh and also for neutralizing the heads of the local separatists and extremists. Having exiled some irreconcilable members of the local Armenian national council, he restored, for some time, stability and order in Karabakh without bloodshed. Sultanov also made steps towards normalization of relations between the Armenian and the Azeri population of Karabakh. In Shusha the Armenians began to attend the Azeri part of the town again, and the Azeris, without fear- the Armenian part. The town became united again. Much work was done to secure safety of the Armenian population of Karabakh. For example, in June 1919 and information was received, that 200 Shushavian riders were going to attack the neighboring Armenian village of Dashalty to avenge Andranik's attacks to the Azeri villages in Zangezur. Immediately, units of the National Army were sent to Dashalty. Troops reached there and dispersed the attackers in good time, when these bands had already burned the outermost house of the village, moreover, the attackers lost three people dead.6 Restoration of stability, even though was temporary, but led to bettering of the interethnic relations and in August 1919 the Armenian community of Karabakh in its congress officially recognized the authority of the Azerbaijanian government. The Azerbaijanian government achieved considerable success in the international area as well. On January 11, 1920 the Supreme Council of the Allies made a decision in Versailles: «The Allied and League [of Nations] countries de-facto recognize the governments of Azerbaijan and Georgia»7. Soon a similar decision was made with regard to Armenia too. Unsolved territorial disputes among the Caucasian republics hampered them to be recognized in de-jure level. Nevertheless, news about recognition of the Azerbaijan's sovereignty reached the country in March and became the reason for great celebrations. A general amnesty was declared; a military parade was organized in Baku. But this joy didn't last long. At night on March 22 1920, the day when Azeris celebrated the spring holiday of Novruz, Armenian nationalist groups organized a riot. The objective was to catch the Azeris distracted with holiday unawares and to take control over Shusha. They seized the approaches to Shusha, Khankendi, and the Askeran fortress and began to attack the Azeri part of the town and burn the houses on their way. Approximately, the same time the regular army units of Armenia attacked Zangezur. But the effect of suddenness didn't justify itself. On the contrary, the fact that Armenians attacked Azeris during their holy holidays embittered the conflict further. The Azeri population and the units of the National Army dislocated in Shusha, consolidated and began counteroffensive to the Armenian quarter of Shusha and burned almost the whole Armenian part of the town. Both parties suffered great losses. Losses from the Armenian part were more. Regular units of the Azerbaijan Army under the command of general-major Habib Salimov were sent to Karabakh and Zangezur. The riot in Karabakh was suppressed, and by the end of April 1920 the Azerbaijan Army defeated the Armenian troops in Zangezur. On April 26 the Armenian government asked for peace. But despite the military victory, the events of March-April 1920 had very negative consequences for Azerbaijan. These events caused the governmental crisis in Azerbaijan. The government under the pressure from the Parliament opposition, accusing it in inept governance, had to resign. Attempts to create a new government didn't succeed. The Bolsheviks used the situation to seize the power. Involvement of the major forces of the Azerbaijan Army in the conflict with Armenia in the western borders made Azerbaijan virtually helpless before the aggression at the hands of a more powerful enemy from the North. On April 27 the Russian XI Red Army intruded into Azerbaijan and on April 28 the Soviets came into the power in Baku virtually unimpeded. The independence of Azerbaijan was over. Shusha itself also greatly suffered from the events of March 1920. This beautiful town, which was one of the biggest cultural and political centers of Azerbaijan once called «petite Paris» for its beauty, the cradle of the Azeri music named by rights «the Conservatoire of the Caucasus» couldn't recover from this last strike and gradually became a small provincial town. ________________________________________ S. Shaumyan «Articles and speeches 1917-1918» (Stat'yi i rechi 1917-1918 gg) Baku 1929 p. 260 (in Russian) «War with Muslims, Armenians attack again» Scottland-Liddel January 30, 1919 / Central State Archive of Azerbaijan Republic reserve 894, inventory 10, folder (delo) 81, lists 9-10 / Documents and Publications... p. 257 «Last events in Karabakh» Azerbaijan newspaper No 123, June 17 1919 / also: Documents and Publications p. 313 (in Russian) «Paris Peace Conference» Washington 1947 vol. IX p. 959 / also: D. Gassanov «Azerbaijan within the system of international relations 1918-1920» (Azerbaycan beynelxalq munasibetler sisteminde 1918-1920) Baku 1993 p. 320 (in Azeri) (SOURCE: KARABAKH.ORG)