Nagorno Karabakh Republic: History and Current Reality (Part 2)

At that time, the international community considered it imperative to become involved in the conflict. On December 1, 1920, the 5th Committee of the First League of Nations, based on a report from the 3rd subcommittee, unanimously decided against accepting the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic into the League of Nations, taking into account Azerbaijan's territorial ambitions and the widespread Armenian massacres. The League of Nations, before final resolution of the conflict, recognized Nagorno Karabagh as a contested territory, which was agreed to by all parties including Azerbaijan. Thus from 1918-1920, during the formation of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, its sovereignty did not include Nagorno Karabagh or Nakhijevan.

In Transcaucasia, the consolidation of Soviet rule was accompanied by a new political system. In 1920, after the establishment of Soviet Azerbaijan, Russian forces temporarily occupied Nagorno Karabagh as per the treaty between Soviet Russia and the Republic of Armenia until peaceful solution to the conflict.

Immediately after the establishment of the Soviet regime in Armenia, the Azerbaijan Revcom (Revolutionary Committee - the main Bolshevik instrument of power at that time) made a declaration recognizing Nagorno Karabagh, Zangezur, and Nakhijevan as inseparable parts of Armenia. In effect, the declaration renounced any of Azerbaijan Republic's claim over Nagorno Karabagh, Zangezur, and Nakhijevan.

Based on this declaration, and following agreement between the Armenian and Azerbaijani governments, in June of 1921, Armenia declared Nagorno Karabagh her inseparable part. The text of the decree issued by the Armenian government was published in Armenian and Azerbaijani media ("Baku Worker" organ of the Azerbaijan Communist Party Central Committee, June 22, 1921). Thus, the documented unification of Nagorno Karabagh to Armenia, within the context of international law, was the last legal act by the Transcaucasia Communist regime.

Russia and the international community greeted the act of annexation. The League of Nations Assembly, on December 18, 1920, ratified the annexation in a resolution. The executive secretary of the League of Nations, in his memorandum to the member states, to the highest body in the RSFSR Foreign Ministry Peoples' Commissariat, and in his 1920-1921 annual report to the 11th Soviet session recognised the unification.

However soon after, the Bolshevik leaders in Russia had politically inspirations and desires to foster an "international Communist revolution". To achieve this, Turkey was assigned the role of " torch bearer of the revolution in the East". This resulted in a change of attitude regarding Turkey's ethnically close relations with Azerbaijan and the question of "contested territories," including Nagorno Karabagh.

The leaders of Azerbaijan, under the direction of Moscow, restarted talks about claims for Nagorno Karabagh. In 1921, the plenary session of the Caucasus Bureau of the HKbK, disregarded the decision of the League of Nations and refused to accept the plebiscite as a popular mechanism for determining borders between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Under Stalin's immediate pressure, the decision was made to separate Nagorno Karabagh from Armenia by force, contradicting the act of unification and violating principle, though it was stipulated that on those Armenian lands, under Azerbaijani SSR rule, national autonomy with wide privileges would be established.