THE SITUATION IN NAKHCHIVAN AFTER THE COLLAPSE OF THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE, THE DECLARATION OF AUTONOMY, AND ITS DEVELOPMENT

Resumo

This article discusses the socio-political situation that arose in Nakhchivan , one of the ancient cultural centers of Azerbaijan, in the early 20th century. It is noted that after the collapse of the Russian Empire, the situation in Azerbaijan, as in all the national peripheries of the empire, became significantly tense. This situation did not bypass the Nakhchivan region either. Armenians committed mass massacres in the Nakhchivan region, as they did in every part of Azerbaijan. The population of the region suffered greatly from the attacks of Andranik Ozanian . Therefore, the progressive people of Nakhchivan implemented a series of measures to save the region from Armenian aggression and appealed to the Ottoman state for help. Self-defense battalions were created from the local population. With the help of the Turkish army and the population, the Armenian aggression was repelled. The Araz -Turkish Republic, established in November 1918, also played a major role in repelling the aggression. After the Sovietization of Azerbaijan, and subsequently Nakhchivan , Soviet leaders like Lenin, Stalin, and Ordzhonikidze wanted to give Nakhchivan to the Armenians. However, the strong resistance of prominent Azerbaijani figures and the population of Nakhchivan thwarted these plans. Nakhchivan was granted autonomous status within Azerbaijan. The Moscow and Kars treaties signed in 1921 played a major role in this. As a result, the Nakhchivan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was established on February 9, 1924. Shortly after, in 1929, 657 square kilometers of the autonomous republic's territory were given to Armenia by a decision of the Transcaucasian Central Executive Committee. The Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, which underwent a certain path of development during the Soviet era, developed further during the period of the prominent statesman Heydar Aliyev (1969-1982). After Azerbaijan restored its independence in 1991, Nakhchivan entered a high stage of its development during the years of rule of national leader Heydar Aliyev (1993-2003) and his successor Ilham Aliyev (after 1993).