1905.az

 In 1827, Russia began in earnest her conquest of the great Muslim Empires—The Ottoman Empire and Iran. In two short wars, Russia defeated first the Persians, then the Ottomans. Russia’s prize was the lands of the Southern Caucasus. Russia’s task was to ensure the tranquility of her new possessions by shaping their populations. In the Tsar’s conquests to the north, Russians and other Slavs had been moved into the new territories, often displacing Turkish-speaking inhabitants. Because of the distance from ethnic Russian lands and, perhaps, a lack of Slavs who could or would move to the Southern Caucasus, the Russians encouraged local Christians, the Armenians, to come into the new Russian territories.

During the world war, Russian military power kept any recurrence of the 1905 troubles between Armenians and Azeri Turks from breaking out. However, strife arose once again during the Russian Revolution when Russian power disappeared. The population of the largest city of Azerbaijan, Baku, was made up primarily of Turks, Armenians, and Russians. Because of the highly developed oil industry in Western Transcaucasia, Baku was an industrialized city and had a large class of industrial workers. The effects of the Russian Revolution thus were seen in Baku more than in the rest of the Transcaucasian region. The city was ruled by a revolutionary government (the so-called Baku Commune) in which most power was held by the Dashnak Party and the Bolsheviks.

The initial deportation of Azerbaijani Turks from Western Azerbaijan (present-day Armenia) was launched upon the annexation of Eastern Georgia by Russia in 1801, later the invasion of Shamshaddil and Loru-Pempek regions by Russia.

“On November 15 starting from 16:15 to 04:30 on November 16, the Armenian armed forces units from the positions in the direction of the Azizli, Zarkand, Ashaghi Shorzha, Dara, Goysu, and Pambak settlements of the Basarkechar district, Chinarli, Mosesgekh, Yukhari Mehrab, Aygepar and Gulali settlements of the Shamshaddin district, as well as Jil settlement of the Chambarak district using various caliber weapons subjected to intensive fire the Azerbaijan Army positions in the direction of the Yellija and Barmagbina settlements of the Kalbajar district, Galakand, Daryurd, Novoivanovka, Garavalilar settlements of the Gadabay district, Aghbulag, Aghdam, Garalar, Gosha, Kokhanabi, Hajally, Alibayli and Asrik Jirdakhan settlements of the Tovuz district, as well as Kohnegishlag settlement of the Aghstafa district, Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan told AZERTAC.

“Military units of the armed forces of Armenia violated ceasefire 30 times throughout the day in various directions of the front, using sniper rifles,” Azerbaijan`s Ministry of Defense said in a statement.