Nakhichevan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic
Nakhichevan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic Нахчыван Мухтар Совет Сосиалист Республикасы (Azerbaijani) Нахичеванская Автономная Советская Социалистическая Республика (Russian) | |||||||||
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ASSR of the Azerbaijan SSR | |||||||||
1921–1990 | |||||||||
Armenian SSR | |||||||||
Modern subdivisions of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic | |||||||||
Capital | Nakhichevan | ||||||||
Area | |||||||||
• Coordinates | 39°12′N 45°24′E / 39.200°N 45.400°E | ||||||||
Government | |||||||||
• Type | Republic | ||||||||
• Motto | Proletarians of all regions, unite! | ||||||||
Historical era | 20th century | ||||||||
• Soviet Republic of Nakhichevan establisheda | July 1920 | ||||||||
16 March 1921 | |||||||||
13 October 1921 | |||||||||
1922–36 | |||||||||
9 February 1924 | |||||||||
• Independence declared | January 1990 | ||||||||
19 November 1990 | |||||||||
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Today part of | Democratic Republic of Armenia in 1920, the territory was theoretically under British occupation (replacing Ottoman occupation). De jure, the former Nakhichevan Khanate had passed to the Russian Empire after the 1828 Treaty of Turkmenchay, while the Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic had been replaced by competing claims from the Democratic Republic of Armenia and the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic. In addition, the Azeri Republic of Aras had also declared Nakhichevan as its territory. |
The Nakhichevan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic,. It was formed on 16 March 1921 and became a part of the Azerbaijan SSR proper on 9 February 1924.
The first flag of the Nakhichevan ASSR was introduced in 1937 and contained both Azerbaijani and Armenian text. In the 1940s, when the Azerbaijani Latin alphabet was being replaced by Cyrillic, the previous flag was replaced by a Soviet flag with the Azerbaijani Cyrillic text "Нахчыван МССР" in gold and a dark blue bar along the fess.[1]
In 1990, it became the
History
War and revolution
In the final years of
Under British occupation, Sir
In December 1918, with the support of Azerbaijan's
You cannot persuade a party of frenzied nationalists that two blacks do not make a white; consequently, no day went by without a catalogue of complaints from both sides, Armenians and Tartars [Azeris], of unprovoked attacks, murders, village burnings and the like. Specifically, the situation was a series of vicious cycles.[7]
By mid-June 1919, Armenia had established control over Nakhichevan and the whole territory of the self-proclaimed republic. The fall of the Aras republic triggered an invasion by the regular Azerbaijani army and by the end of July, Armenian troops were forced to leave Nakhichevan City to the Azeris.[6] Again more violence erupted, leaving some 10,000 Armenians dead and 45 Armenian villages destroyed.[4] Meanwhile, feeling the situation to be hopeless and unable to maintain any control over the area, the British decided to withdraw from the region in mid-1919.[8] Still, fighting between Armenians and Azeris continued and after a series of skirmishes that took place throughout the Nakhichevan district, a ceasefire was agreed. This lasted only briefly, and by early March 1920, more fighting broke out, primarily in Karabakh between Karabakh Armenians and Azerbaijan's regular army. This triggered conflicts in other areas with mixed populations, including Nakhichevan.
Sovietization
In July 1920, the
As of today, the old frontiers between Armenia and Azerbaijan are declared to be non-existent. Mountainous Karabakh, Zangezur and Nakhchivan are recognised to be integral parts of the Socialist Republic of Armenia.[10][11]
Vladimir Lenin, although welcoming this act of "great Soviet fraternity" where "boundaries had no meaning among the family of Soviet peoples," did not agree with the motion and instead called for the people of Nakhichevan to be consulted in a referendum. According to the formal figures of this referendum, held at the beginning of 1921, 90% of Nakhichevan's population wanted to be included in the Azerbaijan SSR "with the rights of an autonomous republic."[10] The decision to make Nakhichevan a part of modern-day Azerbaijan was cemented 16 March 1921 in the Treaty of Moscow between Bolshevist Russia and Turkey.[12] The agreement between Soviet Russia and Turkey also called for attachment of the former Sharur-Daralagez uyezd (which had a solid Azeri majority) to Nakhichevan, thus allowing Turkey to share a border with the Azerbaijan SSR. This deal was reaffirmed on 23 October, in the Treaty of Kars. Article V of the treaty stated the following:
The Turkish Government and the Soviet Governments of Armenia and Azerbaijan are agreed that the region of Nakhchivan, within the limits specified by Annex III to the present Treaty, constitutes an autonomous territory under the protection of Azerbaijan.[13]
So, on 16 March 1921 the Nakhichevan ASSR was established. On 9 February 1924, the Soviet Union officially placed the Nakhichevan ASSR under the jurisdiction of the
Soviet Union
As a constituent part of the Soviet Union, tensions lessened over the ethnic composition of Nakhichevan or any territorial claims regarding it. Instead, it became an important point of industrial production with particular emphasis on the mining of minerals such as salt. Under Soviet rule, it was once a major junction on the Moscow–
Facilities improved during Soviet times; education and public health especially began to see some major changes. In 1913, Nakhichevan only had two hospitals with a total of 20 beds. The region was plagued by widespread diseases including trachoma and typhus. Malaria, which mostly came from the adjoining Aras River, brought serious harm to the region. At any one time, between 70% and 85% of Nakhichevan's population was infected with malaria, and in the region of Norashen (present-day Sharur) almost 100% were struck with the disease. This situation improved dramatically under Soviet rule. Malaria was sharply reduced and trachoma, typhus, and relapsing fever were eliminated.[3]
During the Soviet era, Nakhichevan saw a significant demographic shift. Its Armenian population gradually decreased as many emigrated to the
Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh noted similar though slower demographic trends and feared an eventual "de-Armenianization" of the area.
December 1989 saw unrest in Nakhichevan as its Azeri inhabitants moved to physically dismantle the Soviet border with Iran to flee the area and meet their ethnic Azeri cousins in northern Iran. This action was angrily denounced by the Soviet leadership and the Soviet media accused the Azeris of "embracing Islamic fundamentalism".[18] In January 1990, the Supreme Soviet of the Nakhichevan ASSR issued a declaration stating the intention for Nakhichevan to secede from the USSR to protest the Soviet Union's actions during Black January. It was the first part of the Soviet Union to declare independence, preceding Lithuania's declaration by almost 2 months.[19]
On 19 November 1990, it became the
Commemoration
In 2008, the
See also
- First Secretary of the Nakhichevan Communist Party
References
- ^ Nakhchivan in the Soviet Union on Flags of the World
- ISBN 0-521-57799-3
- ^ a b c d e "Нахичеванская Автономная Советская Социалистическая Республика". Большая советская энциклопедия (in Russian). Retrieved 25 August 2019.
- ^ ISBN 0-226-33228-4.
- ISBN 0-275-96241-5
- ^ a b c Dr Andrew Andersen, PhD Atlas of Conflicts: Armenia: Nation Building and Territorial Disputes: 1918–1920
- ISBN 0-8147-1945-7
- ^ Croissant. Armenia–Azerbaijan Conflict, p. 16.
- ^ De Waal. Black Garden, p. 129.
- ^ ISBN 90-411-1477-7
- ^ Croissant. Armenia–Azerbaijan Conflict, p. 18.
- ^ ISBN 0-521-57799-3
- ^ Text of the Treaty of Kars
- ^ De Waal. Black Garden, p. 271.
- ^ a b Armenia: A Country Study: The New Nationalism, The Library of Congress
- ISBN 0-275-97260-7
- ISBN 0-8014-8736-6
- ^ De Waal, Black Garden, p. 88–89.
- ^ Jr, NICK B. WILLIAMS (21 January 1990). "Soviet Enclave Declares Independence". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
- ^ Azerbaijan: A Country Study: Aliyev and the Presidential Election of October 1993, The Library of Congress
- ^ Central Bank of Azerbaijan. Commemorative coins. Coins produced within 1992–2010 Archived 19 January 2010 at the Wayback Machine: Commemorative coins dedicated to 85th anniversary of Nakhchivan Autonomy Republic. Retrieved on 25 February 2010.
Notes
- ^ Azerbaijani: Нахчыван Мухтар Совет Сосиалист Республикасы Naxçıvan Muxtar Sovet Sosialist Respublikası, Armenian: Նախիջևանի Ինքնավար Խորհրդային Սոցիալիստական Հանրապետություն, Russian: Нахичеванская Автономная Советская Социалистическая Республика, romanized: Nakhichevanskaya Avtonomnaya Sovetskaya Sotsialisticheskaya Respublika
- ^ Azerbaijani: Нахчыван МССР, Armenian: Նախիջևանի ԻԽՍՀ, Russian: Нахичеванская АССР