History Nakhichevan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic

1 history

1.1 war , revolution
1.2 sovietization
1.3 nakhchivan in soviet union

history
war , revolution

in final year of world war i, nakhchivan scene of more bloodshed between armenians , azerbaijanis, both laid claim area. 1914, armenian population had decreased 40% while azeri population increased 60%. after february revolution, region under authority of special transcaucasian committee of russian provisional government , subsequently of short-lived transcaucasian democratic federative republic. when tdfr dissolved in may 1918, nakhchivan, nagorno-karabakh, zangezur (today armenian province of syunik), , qazakh heavily contested between newly formed , short-lived states of democratic republic of armenia (dra) , azerbaijan democratic republic (adr). in june 1918, region came under ottoman occupation. ottomans proceeded massacre 10,000 armenians , razed 45 of villages ground. under terms of armistice of mudros, ottomans agreed pull troops out of transcaucasus make way forthcoming british military presence.

under british occupation, sir oliver wardrop, british chief commissioner in south caucasus, made border proposal solve conflict. according wardrop, armenian claims against azerbaijan should not go beyond administrative borders of former erivan governorate (which under prior imperial russian rule encompassed nakhchivan), while azerbaijan limited governorates of baku , elisabethpol. proposal rejected both armenians (who did not wish give claims qazakh, zangezur , karabakh) , azeris (who found unacceptable give claims nakhchivan). disputes between both countries continued, became apparent fragile peace under british occupation not last.

in december 1918, support of azerbaijan s musavat party, jafargulu khan nakhchivanski declared republic of aras in nakhchivan uyezd of former erivan governorate assigned armenia wardrop. armenian government did not recognize new state , sent troops region take control of it. conflict erupted violent aras war. british journalist c.e. bechhofer described situation in april 1920:

by mid-june 1919, however, armenia succeeded in establishing control on nakhchivan , whole territory of self-proclaimed republic. fall of aras republic triggered invasion regular azerbaijani army , end of july, armenian troops forced leave nakhchivan city azeris. again, more violence erupted leaving ten thousand armenians dead , forty-five armenian villages destroyed. meanwhile, feeling situation hopeless , unable maintain control on area, british decided withdraw region in mid-1919. still, fighting between armenians , azeris continued , after series of skirmishes took place throughout nakhchivan district, cease-fire agreement concluded. however, cease-fire lasted briefly, , march 1920, more fighting broke out, in karabakh between karabakh armenians , azerbaijan s regular army. triggered conflicts in other areas mixed populations, including nakhchivan.

sovietization

in july 1920, 11th soviet red army invaded , occupied region , on 28 july, declared nakhchivan autonomous soviet socialist republic close ties azerbaijan ssr. in november, on verge of taking on armenia, bolsheviks, in order attract public support, promised allot nakhchivan armenia, along karabakh , zangezur. fulfilled when nariman narimanov, leader of bolshevik azerbaijan issued declaration celebrating victory of soviet power in armenia, proclaimed both nakhchivan , zangezur should awarded armenian people sign of azerbaijani people s support armenia s fight against former dra government:

vladimir lenin, although welcoming act of great soviet fraternity boundaries had no meaning among family of soviet peoples, did not agree motion , instead called people of nakhchivan consulted in referendum. according formal figures of referendum, held @ beginning of 1921, 90% of nakhchivan s population wanted included in azerbaijan ssr rights of autonomous republic. decision make nakhchivan part of modern-day azerbaijan cemented 16 march 1921 in treaty of moscow between bolshevist russia , turkey. agreement between soviet russia , turkey called attachment of former sharur-daralagez uyezd (which had solid azeri majority) nakhchivan, allowing turkey share border azerbaijan ssr. deal reaffirmed on 23 october, in treaty of kars. article v of treaty stated following:

so, on 16 march 1921 nakhchivan assr established. on 9 february 1924, soviet union officially placed nakhchivan assr under jurisdiction of azerbaijan ssr. constitution adopted on 18 april 1926.

nakhchivan in soviet union

as constituent part of soviet union, tensions lessened on ethnic composition of nakhchivan or territorial claims regarding it. instead, became important point of industrial production particular emphasis on mining of minerals such salt. under soviet rule, once major junction on moscow–tehran railway line baku–yerevan railway. served important strategic area during cold war, sharing borders both turkey (a nato member state) , iran (a close ally of west until iranian revolution of 1979).

facilities improved during soviet times; education , public health began see major changes. in 1913, nakhchivan had 2 hospitals total of 20 beds. region plagued widespread diseases including trachoma , typhus. malaria, came adjoining aras river, brought serious harm region. @ 1 time, between 70% , 85% of nakhchivan s population infected malaria, , in region of norashen (present-day sharur) 100% struck disease. situation improved dramatically under soviet rule. malaria sharply reduced , trachoma, typhus, , relapsing fever eliminated.

during soviet era, nakhchivan saw significant demographic shift. armenian population gradually decreased many emigrated armenian ssr. in 1926, 15% of region s population armenian, 1979, number had shrunk 1.4%. azeri population, meanwhile increased substantially both higher birth rate , immigration armenia (going 85% in 1926 96% 1979).

armenians in nagorno-karabakh noted similar though slower demographic trends , feared eventual de-armenianization of area. when tensions between armenians , azeris reignited in late-1980s nagorno-karabakh conflict, azerbaijan s popular front managed pressure azerbaijan ssr instigate partial railway , air blockade against armenia, while reason disruption of rail service armenia attacks of armenian forces on trains entering armenian territory azerbaijan, resulted in railroad personnel refusing enter armenia. crippled armenia s economy, 85% of cargo , goods arrived through rail traffic. in response, armenia closed railway nakhchivan, thereby strangling exclave s link rest of soviet union.

december 1989 saw unrest in nakhchivan azeri inhabitants moved physically dismantle soviet border iran flee area , meet ethnic azeri cousins in northern iran. action angrily denounced soviet leadership , soviet media accused azeris of embracing islamic fundamentalism . in january 1990, supreme soviet of nakhchivan assr issued declaration stating intention nakhchivan secede ussr protest soviet union s actions during black january. first part of soviet union declare independence, preceding lithuania s declaration few weeks.

heydar aliyev, future president of azerbaijan, returned birthplace of nakhchivan in 1990, after being ousted position in politburo mikhail gorbachev in 1987. after returning nakhchivan, aliyev elected supreme soviet overwhelming majority. aliyev subsequently resigned cpsu , after failed august 1991 coup against gorbachev, called complete independence azerbaijan , denounced ayaz mütallibov supporting coup. in late 1991, aliyev consolidated power base chairman of nakhchivan supreme soviet , asserted nakhchivan s near-total independence baku.

on 19 november 1990 became nakhichevan autonomous republic within republic of azerbaijan.