On February 23, 1918, the supreme governing body of the South Caucasus -the Transcaucasian Seim was created.

 

However, serious controversies between Azerbaijani, Georgian and Armenian factions of the Sejm on the main issues of internal and external policy were soon revealed. The declaration of an independent Federative Republic of Transcaucasia on April 22, 1918, did not eliminate these contradictions. On May 26, 1918, the Transcaucasian Seim announced its dissolution. On the same day, the Georgian faction declared the independence of Georgia. On May 27, the Muslim faction constituted itself into the National Council of Azerbaijan. After heated arguments, the decision on the independence of Azerbaijan and the Declaration of Independence were adopted.

 

An interim government was created. With its first decree the Republic granted all citizens equal rights regardless of nationality, religion, social status and sex. On June 16, 1918, the National Council and the government moved from Tbilisi to Ganja. After heavy battles the Islamic Army led by Nuru Pasha liberated Baku from the remnants of the Centrocaspian Dictatorship on September

 

15, 1918. The Azerbaijani government moved to Baku on September 17, 1918. One of the biggest successes of the Republic was the recognition of independence of Azerbaijan on January 11, 1920 in the Paris Peace Conference.

 

The first parliamentary republic in the Muslim East, the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan inherited our ancient statehood traditions and could set up contemporary national institutions. The history of our national parliamentarism dates back to the first meeting of the Azerbaijani Parliament on December 7, 1918.

 

 The foundation of the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan was generated by national revival and the events going on in a complicated political period. The establishment of contemporary theatres, schools and press in Azerbaijan had an enormous impact on the national identity of the Azerbaijani people. The creation of the National Army for protecting the population from the Bolshevik-Armenian plunders was one of the most remarkable achievements of the Republic. The Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan could be compared to traditional democracies in Europe due to its political structure, democratic state-building methods, as well as goals and objectives. The Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan officially ceased to exist as a sovereign state on April 28, 1920 as a result of the aggression of the Soviet Russia.

 

«Azerbaijani states in history», Baku, 2012, p.178