In 1998 the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan
issued the Decree on declaring of March, 31 as the day of genocide of
Azerbaijanis. This decree is demonstration of the national memory about
the tragic events in the history of Azerbaijan and Azerbaijani people
for the past century. The outrageous facts of mass killings, repression,
expatriation of the Azerbaijanis from their native places are one of the
tragic pages of the world history of XX century. Clear sign of Armenian
nationalism that is delirious about creation of “Great Armenia” and
use any ways for achievement of this goal is shown in this tragic
history of the Azerbaijani nation.
Historic information
Azerbaijan is one of the most ancient centers of
civilization, the country with rich history. Discovery of one of the
earliest sites of man in Azikh cave on the territory of Azerbaijan and
the number of sites of Stone Age is the striking example of it.
The development of the statehood on the territory of
Azerbaijan has great history that includes creation of Manney kingdom
(IX century B.C.), formation of Midi State (VI century B.C.),
development of Atropathena and Albania states (III – V A.D.),
dissemination of Christianity and emergence of Albanian alphabet at the
beginning of V century, conquest by Arabs and inclusion in Arabian
Caliphate, spreading of Islam (beginning of VIII century), creation and
development Gara Goyunlu, Ag Goyunlu, Sefevids states. In XVIII century
influence of the number of states competed for Azerbaijan and pursued
the policy “divide and rule” led to the creation of the number of
independent and partially independent state formations – khanates.
Baku, Karabakh, Guba, Shamakhi, Sheki, Irevan, Nakhchivan, Lenkoran
khanates were created on the territory of Azerbaijan. At the end of
XVIII and beginning of XIX centuries growing differences between Iran,
Turkey and Russia and wars for Azerbaijan largely affected on the fate
of the Azerbaijani people.
After signing of Nishtadt peace treaty with Swedes in
1721 Russian tsar Peter I turned his imperial aspirations to Caucasus
and Caspian territories that led to the capture of Baku city in 1723. In
connection with dissatisfaction and resistance from the local population
that was mainly Moslem Peter I considered “location of Armenians and
Christians in Gilan, Mazandaran, Baku and Derbend at any price” as
necessary for implementation his intentions. And this policy laid by
Peter I was continued by other Russian rulers. In 1768 Catherine II
issued the Decree on her protection of Armenians. In 1802 tsar Alexander
I wrote to N.D. Sisianov: “At any price the Armenians should be
used…in either of khanates in Azerbaijan”. The Armenians being the
tool for realization of this policy used advantageously imperial
intentions of Russia to promote the ideas of creation of their state
that they didn’t have in IV-XIX centuries.
The bloody history of mass
repression
Goulistan (12 October, 1813) and Turkmenchay (10
February, 1828) treaties concluded correspondingly at the ends of two
wars between Russia and Iran (the first one was in 1804-1813 and the
second one - in 1826-1828) played their tragic role in the history of
the Azerbaijani people and led to the division of Azerbaijan: the
northern part of Azerbaijan was conquered by Russia, the southern part
was brought under the rule of Iran.
Shortly after concluding of Turkmenchay treaty by the
Decree of March, 21 1828 Nicholas I, the Russian emperor, created
“Armenian oblast (district)” on the territory of Irevan and
Nakhchivan khanates that included also Irevan city where 7331
Azerbaijanis and 2369 Armenians lived.
After that, according to the clause XV in Turkmenchay
treaty mass migration of Armenians from Iran into Irevan, Karabakh and
Nakhchivan – the lands populated by Azerbaijanis was implemented that
later caused the expatriation of them from their home lands. The similar
acts are implemented after completion of the wars with Turkey (in
1828-1829, 1877-1878). According to historic sources 40.000 Armenians in
Iran and 84.600 Armenians in Turkey were transmigrated into Caucasus in
1829-1830 and they were placed in Nakhchivan, Karabakh and Irevan.
Meanwhile, during hostilities hundreds villages populated by
Azerbaijanis were destroyed, thousands people were killed, and the
remaining population were forced to leave the home places.
At the second part of XIX century Armenians began to
create their organizational structures to realize their nationalistic
idea about creation of “Great Armenia” by means of capture of some
territories in Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan. It is important to note that
parties “Gnchag” (1887, Geneve), “Dashnaktsyutyun” (1890, Tiflis),
organization “Union of Armenian patriots” (1895, New-York) were
created, mainly abroad.
Despite all these attempts, at the end of XIX century
Irevan province took third place after Baku and Elizavetpol (Ganja)
provinces in quantity of Azerbaijanis lived there. According to the
census of population took place in Russian empire 313.178 Azerbaijanis
lived in Irevan province in 1897. The subsequent events of the beginning
of XX century showed that such a situation was a cause of continuation
of the tragedies in the history of the Azerbaijani people.
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| The streets of Baku after the
massacre of Armenians |
1905-1907. The Armenians made use of
revolutionary processes in Russia in 1905-1907 implemented the planned
acts of national massacre, mass expulsion of Azerbaijanis from Baku,
Shusha, Zangezur, Irevan, Nakhchivan, Ordubad, Echmiadzin, Javanshir and
Gazakh. In 1905-1906 200 Azerbaijani villages were destroyed in Irevan
and Ganja provinces and 75 villages - in Shusha, Jabrail, Zangezur
districts.
Unfortunately, historic sources has a few documents
about events of that period, however they described in the books of M.S.
Ordubady “Bloody years” and M.M.Navvab “Armenian-Moslem war in
1905-1906” prepared on the basis of mass media materials of that
period, witnesses of victims and eye-witnesses of that events.
1918-1920. After events of 1905-1907 mass
repression against Azerbaijanis were continued in concealed form that
testifies statistical materials. These materials for 1916 show that
number of population increased by 40 times (from 14.300 to 570.000
people) in 5 districts in Irevan province in 1916 in compare with 1831,
but at the same time increasing of total number of Azerbaijanis was only
4.6 times (achieved 246.600 people). Another example: if in 1886-1897
absolute increasing of the population was 40.000 people, in 1905-1916
this figure was equal 1700 though in 1905 the population was 61.000
people more than in 1886. These figures show nationalist policy pursued
by Armenian nationalists during rule of tsarist Russia and testify
realization of the plan on expatriation of Azerbaijanis and creation of
“Armenia without Turks” as Armenians call Azerbaijanis.
Used the situation in Russia after World War I,
February and October revolutions in 1917 Armenians began to realize
their plans under the banner of Bolshevism. Since March, 1918 Baku
commune started to implement criminal plan with aim to liquidate
Azerbaijanis in Baku province under the slogan of fight against
counterrevolutionary elements. The crimes committed by Armenians those
days remained in the memory of Azerbaijani people forever. Only because
of their national belonging thousands peaceful Azerbaijanis were killed.
Armenians burnt houses and live people. They destroyed national
architectural values, schools, hospitals, mosques and other
constructions, the most part of Baku was in ruins. Genocide of
Azerbaijanis implemented with particular brutality in Baku, Shemakha,
Guba distircts, in Karabakh, Zangezur, Nakhchivan, Lenkoran and other
districts of Azerbaijan. Peaceful population was killed in mass order,
villages were burnt, monuments of national culture were destroyed on
those lands.
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| The Conciliatory Commission in
the Karabakh. 1918 |
In March-April, 1918 Armenians killed more than 50
thousand Azerbaijanis, plundered their houses, drove tens thousands
people out of their homes in Baku, Shemakha, Guba, Mugan, Lenkoran. Only
in Baku about 30 thousand Azerbaijanis were killed with particular
brutality, 58 villages were destroyed, about 7 thousand people were
killed including 1653 women and 965 children in Shemakha district. 122
Moslem villages were destroyed in Guba district, more than 150
Azerbaijani villages were destroyed barbarously in upper part of
Karabakh, 115 villages – in Zangezur district, terrible massacre were
implemented against population without any distinction in sex and age.
211 Azerbaijani villages were destroyed, burnt and
plundered in Irevan province, 92 – in Kars oblast. One of the numerous
appeals of Azerbaijanis in Irevan says that in this historic city of
Azerbaijanis and around it 88 villages were destroyed, 1920 houses were
burnt, 131.970 people were killed for the short time (daily
“Ashkhadavor” (Worker), N 231, November, 2 1919).
Creation of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (ADR) on
May, 28 1918 also was accompanied with loss of the part of the territory
of Azerbaijan that is testified by letter
of the chairman of the Ministers’ Council F.Kh.Khoyski
to Foreign Minister M.G.Gadjinski: “We finished all disputes with
Armenians, they will receive ultimatum and end the war. We’ll give
them Erivan”.
After creation of three sovereign republics in
Transcaucasia due to actions of allies territory of Armenia achieved
17.500 square miles with population 1.510.000 people (795.000 Armenians,
575.000 Moslems, 140.000 – representatives of other nations). Dashnaks
ignoring discussion of the issue about dispute territories and
determination of the borders between the states in the international
organizations and possessed by nationalistic ideas of creation of the
“Great Armenia” at the expense of Azerbaijani and Georgian
territories claimed to the territory of Akhalkaki and Borchali which
were the part of Georgia, as well as Karabakh, Nakhchivan and southern
part of Elizavetpol province which were the part of Azerbaijan.
Attempts to join these territories led to the war with
Georgia (December, 1918) and long bloody fight with Azerbaijan as a
result of which the population reduced by 10-30% in the dispute
districts and number of settlements were razed to the ground. In
1918-1920 565.000 Azerbaijanis from total 575.000 Azerbaijanis lived on
the territory of present Armenia were killed and expatriated. These
facts are confirmed by Armenian sources, too: “By 1920 after Dashnaks,
Turkic (Azerbaijani) population was a little more than 10.000 people in
Soviet Armenia. In 1922 after returning 60.000 Azerbaijani refugees the
number of Azerbaijanis amounted to 72.596 people here”. (Z.Korkodian
“Population of Soviet Armenia. 1831-1931”).
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| Kedabek: The representatives
of the Conciliatory Commission are talking to the residents |
At the beginning of April, 1920 during Tiflis
conference on joint defense against threat of sovetization with
participation of the representatives of Transcaucasian republics the
Armenians claimed that they would never content just with territory of
Irevan province and therefore they refused to cooperate. So, actions of
the Armenians in Karabakh, Zangezur and Gazakh in the spring of 1920, in
Shusha on March, 22 – at the day of Novruz holiday (Holiday of Spring)
of Azerbaijanis, and later in Askeran, Stepanakert and Zangezur may
consider as conspiracy between Yerevan and Moscow against Azerbaijan and
Azerbaijanis to overthrow national government and establish Soviet rule.
Such a policy of Armenians yielded its results. N.
Narimanov head of Soviet Azerbaijan yielded to pressure from Moscow
forced to issue Declaration on December, 1 1920 according to which the
territories of “Zangezur and Nakhchivan districts…” with total
area 9800 square kilometers “…declared…the part of Soviet
Armenia”.
As it is clear from these facts Armenians used all
available means and methods to achieve their nationalistic goals
violating generally accepted norms of international law.
Deportation of 1948-1953. During Soviet rule
Armenians continued their traditional policy of expatriation of
Azerbaijanis from the territory of the Armenian SSR and expansion of its
territory at the expense of its neighbors. For implementation of such a
policy Armenians lived in Armenia and abroad it coordinated their
actions that testifies the existence of global strategy for achievement
of “Great Armenia” idea.
Armenian diaspora made use of holding of Tehran
conference (1943) appealed to USSR Foreign Minister V. Molotov to allow
Armenians lived in Iran to transmigrate into USSR. Consent of Joseph
Stalin in this question laid basis for mass deportation of Azerbaijanis
from Armenia in 1948-1953.
In 1945 the leadership of Armenia raised a question
about joining of Karabakh and substantiated it by economic links of
Karabakh with Armenia but at that period these attempts failed. Then
another tactics was chosen.
Short after war of 1941-1945 transmigration of
Armenians from abroad to Armenia was begun. In 1946 50.900 people were
transmigrated from Syria, Greece, Lebanon, Iran, Bulgaria and Romania,
and in 1947 35.400 people – from Palestine, Syria, France, USA,
Greece, Egypt, Iraq and Lebanon. In 1947 Armenian CC CP Secretary G.
Arutyunov appealed to Moscow with complaint about difficulties in
settlement of Armenian migrants and proposed the cynical idea to
transmigrate Azerbaijanis lived in Armenia to cotton-growing regions of
Azerbaijan allegedly with aim to provide labor productivity.
This idea supported by J. Stalin was realized by two
Decrees of USSR Ministers’ Council. First of them “On
transmigration of collective farmers and other Azerbaijanis from the
Armenian SSR to Kura-Araks lowland of the Azerbaijani SSR”
of December, 1947 decrees about free-well transmigration of 100.000
Azerbaijanis into lower districts of Azerbaijan in 1948-1950 without any
mention of reasons, mechanism and real circumstances of transmigration.
According to this Decree 10.000 people were to be
transmigrated to Azerbaijan in 1948, 40.000 people – in 1949, 50.000
– in 1950.
The second Decree “On
measures for transmigration of collective farmers and other Azerbaijani
population from the Armenian SSR into Kura-Araks lowland in the
Azerbaijani SSR” of March, 10 1948
was supplement to the first one and included technical and
organizational measures for transmigration realization.
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| Shusha after the attack by
Armenians |
According to the facts, 2357 families (11046 people)
were transmigrated to Azerbaijan in 1948, 2368 families (10595 people)
– in 1949, 14361 people – in 1950. Only 4878 families from 8110
transmigrated in 1948-1950 were provided by dwellings. In general more
than 100.000 Azerbaijanis were transmigrated during 1948-1952.
Transmigrated people mainly lived in mountainous area and did not
provide by dwellings suffered from hot climatic conditions in lower area
and numerous victims were among them at that period. Even in such
circumstances repeated appeals of transmigrated Azerbaijanis and the
leadership of Azerbaijan to Moscow about permission to settle them in
mountainous area including Karabakh were rejected by central leadership.
It is one more side of free-well transmigration for the sake of
cotton-growing development – inhumanity to the fates of people and
thousand victims.
Along with it only 10.000 Armenians from France, USA,
Egypt, Bulgaria, Romania, Syria, and Lebanon were transmigrated to
Armenia in 1948. This fact indicates that Armenia achieved the decree on
transmigration of Azerbaijanis from Armenia was not interested in future
transmigration of Armenians from abroad. More than 476 villages remained
unused as was noted at the session of Armenia CC KP in 1975
(“Communist” daily, January, 20 1975, Yerevan).
Even Armenian nationalists declared in 1990 “Vacant
lands and residential areas vacated in connection with transmigration of
Azerbaijanis were not used for settlement of Armenians arrived from
abroad” ( “The voice of Armenia” daily, November, 11 1990).
It can be made the only conclusion from all aforesaid
that the transmigration of Azeris from Armenia has aimed neither
distribution of foreign Armenians nor development of cotton-growing in
Azerbaijan. It was the policy of building of mononational state, the old
idea and dream of Dashnaks. The death of Josef Stalin has stopped the
processes of transmigration and Azeris who have not find shelter and
could not endure those conditions were forced to return to their
homeland despite discriminations and persecutions against them. It
caused the new wave of Armenian dissatisfaction – moral terror against
Azeris. Close of the educational institutions, abolition of studying in
Azerbaijani language, replacement of Azeri leaders by Armenian
personnel, ignoring of common and economic needs of Azeri villages,
expanding of anti-Azerbaijani company, especially became apparent by the
realization of 50th year anniversary of the genocide of Armenians in
1965 were the links of Dashnak policy.
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| The house destroyed by the
artillery fire of Armenians |
1990-s of XX century. The processes of
reorganization and publicity in USSR have caused the new wave of
anti-Azerbaijani sentiments and territorial claims. Armenian
nationalists have begun expatriation of Azeris from Armenia and seizure
of Karabakh from Azerbaijan using substantiation of allegedly economical
links of Karabakh with Armenia.
Beginning from 1988 mass threats, beatings and
murders, massacres of villages, bloody events in Gukark where 70 people
were killed including 21 women and 6 children and in Vardanis district
where 40 people were killed forced 250.000 Azeris to leave their native
places in Yerevan, Masis, Kalinino, Kadjaran, Kafan, Kirovokan, Goris,
Sisian, Amasiya, Alaverdi. The history of 1905-1920 repeated again –
women and children, elderly people going through snow mountain ridges,
becoming frozen and perishing were seeking salvation in Azerbaijan. The
history of 1948–1953 repeated again – by the order of the central
authorities the refugees have not been allowed to settle in Karabakh so
they took refuge in the tents.
After expatriation of the residents from the last
Azerbaijani village Nuvedy in Armenia in August, 8 1991 which had been
annexed to Armenia by the decree of Transcaucasian federation in
February, 18 1929, Armenia turned into the mononational republic and the
Dashnak idea about “Armenia without Azerbaijanis” was realized.
The aggression of Armenia against Azerbaijan after
1988 has turned into ruins occupied cities and districts of Azerbaijan
which are the 20 percent of republic’s territory, forced 1.000.000
people to become refugees, 10.000 people were killed, dozen of thousands
were crippled.
The
tragedy of Khodjali in February, 1992
is the another evidence of brutality and cruelty of Armenian nationalism
and will be kept in the memory of humanity for a long time. It should
not be also forgotten the history of Black
January of 1990 when the forces of
Soviet army inflicted unexampled reprisals against peaceful residents of
Baku. According to proofs of eye-witnesses there were a lot of Armenian
reservists among soldiers.
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| The marquees of the
Azerbaijani refugees |
Here are the results of nationalistic policy carrying
out by Dashnaks during 19-20th centuries. It is necessary to
note that separative actions against Azerbaijan are continuing, so
Armenia is urging to seize Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic from
Azerbaijan. They also make attempts to obtain the recognition of “the
genocide of Armenians” by the world community, forgetting that the
nation who went through genocide has not moral right for similar actions
against other nations. Probably their morbid imagination presumes them
to interpret international legal regulations peculiarly playing the role
of martyr and torture simultaneously. It all occurs before the eyes of
civilized humanity, achieved the high level of cultural and economical
development and standing at the threshold of the 21th century.
POLITICAL – LEGAL ASSESSMENT
For the first time the March events of 1918 were at
the center of attention after the declaration of Azerbaijan Democratic
Republic. On June 15, 1918 the Council of Ministers accepted the
resolution about establishing of special
investigation committee.
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| The first refugees. 1918 |
The committee has investigated the March tragedy,
first of all exploring the brutalities of Armenians in Shemakha and
grave crimes in Irevan province. It was established the special
structure attached to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in order to inform
the world public about true currency of events. ADR commemorated 31st
of March as the day of nation-wide sorrow in 1919 and 1920. In essence
it was the attempt to give the political assessment to the policy of
genocide against Azeris and occupation of our territories continuing
during more than epoch. But the collapse of ADR has not let to bring to
an end this task.
The Azerbaijani Republic got independence after the
collapse of Soviet Union has perceived the necessity of political
assessment of the events of genocide and to bring to the logical end the
decisions which ADR had not time to finish.
The decree of President of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev of
the March, 26 1998 issued on the eve of 80th anniversary of
tragic March events of 1918 became the expression of political
assessment by the Azerbaijani side to the actions of Armenian
nationalists. That Decree has become a program document for forming of
present and future generations’ strong national memory about genocide
inflicted against Azeri nation in 20th century, the attaining
of the political and legal assessment of those tragedies in the whole
world, the eliminating of heavy consequences and for retraining from
repetition in future.
In 1998 year the parliament of the Republic – Milli
Mejlis applied with a statement to United Nations, inter-Parliamentary
Council, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Community
of Independent States and other international organizations, parliaments
and governments of world’s states to make every effort to struggle
against events like genocide against Azerbaijanis in the whole world.
“The day of genocide of Azeris” commemorated by
Azeris every year serves these aims and it is an attempt to draw
attention of world community to the facts of shovinizm, separatism
continuing to the present.
It is important to remember that we are all
responsible for the peaceful future of civilization.
