Formation Of Armenia On The Political Map Of The Caucasus And Karabakh Issue (1918-1921)
Abstract
A new
revolutionary era in Russia started in February 1917 for all the peoples of the
former Russian empire ruled by the Romanov dynasty. Along with the overthrow of the
tsarist monarchy in Russia, the revolution of February 1917 was a blow to the
Russian empire, spawning national liberation movements in that “prison of
nations.” The overthrow of the monarchy sped up the political processes taking
place in the South Caucasus.
One of the first steps of the Provisional
Government that was formed after the revolution was the creation of a special
institution to govern the South Caucasus. On March 9, the Special
Transcaucasian Committee (OZAKOM) was created to govern the region. When the
revolution of October 1917 occurred, it raised the hopes of the nations that
had been subjects of the Russian empire. These hopes for independence were for
the most part nourished by the declarations made by the Bolsheviks in the early
days of their coming to power. A peace decree and a Declaration of the Rights
of the Peoples of Russia were to provide a guarantee that the nations of the
former empire would be free to secede and create independent republics.
However, quite soon it became clear that these documents were merely
propaganda.
When the Russian Soviet of People’s Commissars
appointed Stepan Georgevich Shaumian as the Envoy Extraordinary for the
Caucasus to fight against the autonomy of Azerbaijan, he was commissioned to
carry out the decree of 29 December 1917, on the autonomy of “Turkish Armenia,”
which had been prepared by Joseph Stalin. The decree recognized the full
independence and sovereignty of the Armenian nation in “Turkish Armenia,” which
had been occupied by the Russian army. Other items were the creation of
militias to protect the population of “Turkish Armenia” and their property once
the Russian army withdrew from the territory; the unimpeded repatriation of
Armenians who had emigrated from “Turkish Armenia”; and the creation of a
provisional administration of a democratically elected Armenian national
deputies’ council.
Keywords
References
- “Results of Soviet Construction in Azerbaijan,” Report of Narimanov to Lenin. September 15, 1921, Russian State Archives of Social-Political History (RSASPH), rec. gr. 5, inv. 1, f. 1219, sheet 12.
- A. Bekzadyan’s letter to Chicherin. April 15, 1921, AVP RF, rec. gr. 04, inv. 39, folder 232, f. 53001, sheets 58-59, 62.
- Addendum to Protocol No. 6 of the evening sitting of the plenary session of the Caucasian Bureau of the CC RCP. (B). June 3,1921, RSASPH, rec. gr. 64, inv. 1, f. 1, sheet 77.
- Chicherin’s ciphered telegram to Orjonikidze. July 2, 1920, RSASPH, rec. gr. 85, inv. 3c, f. 2, sheet 3.
- Chicherin’s letter to Ter-Gabrielyan. April 21, 1921, AVP RF, rec. gr. 04, inv. 39, folder 232, f. 53001, sheet 63.
- Chicherin’s reply to Lenin’s enquiry. June 1920, RSASPH, rec. gr. 2, inv. 1, f. 1451, sheet 1.
- Chicherin’s telegram to Legran. April 22, 1921, AVP RF, rec. gr. 04, inv. 39, folder 232, f. 53001, sheet 65.
- Ciphered telegram of Orjonikidze and Kirov to Lenin and Stalin. June 12, 1920, RSASPH, rec. gr. 85, inv. 2c, f. 2, sheets 9-11.
Details
Primary Language
English
Subjects
-
Journal Section
Research Article
Authors
Jamil Hasanli
This is me
0000-0001-6844-1812
Publication Date
December 28, 2018
Submission Date
October 17, 2018
Acceptance Date
November 13, 2018
Published in Issue
Year 2018 Number: 38