The cession of the western part of Western Zangazur and other territories to Soviet Armenia

In 1918, when the Republic of Armenia (Ararat) was established on part of the territory of the Iravan Governorate, its area was approximately 10,000 square kilometers. At that time, the undisputed territory of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic was 97,297.67 square kilometers. According to the Mudros Armistice signed at the end of World War I (October 30, 1918), the withdrawal of Turkish troops from the South Caucasus once again gave Andranik free rein. In the first half of November, Andranik declared himself the supreme commander of all armed groups in Zangazur. 

In response to massacres perpetrated by Andranik in Zangazur, the Azerbaijani government announced mobilization in the region. In January 1919, Azerbaijan established a provisional Governor-Generalship, headed by Khosrov bey Sultanov, covering the territories of Karabakh and Zangazur.

Following persistent demands from the Azerbaijani government to remove Andranik from Zangazur, Andranik eventually withdrew. However, his departure was followed by renewed massacres conducted by the troops of Dro (Drastamat Kanayan) and subsequently Njdeh (Garegin Ter-Harutyunyan).

By early October 1919, the number of Turkic-Muslim refugees from Zangazur, whose homes had been burned, had reached 60,000.

The ruling Dashnaktsutyun party, systematically implementing its plan to expand Armenia’s territory by force, declared at a meeting on December 7, 1919, that Zangazur was an inseparable part of Armenia and adopted a resolution pledging to take all necessary measures to maintain control over Armenian-occupied territories.

When Soviet power was established in Azerbaijan on April 28, 1920, a significant portion of the territory of the Zangazur district was under the control of Armenian armed detachments. On April 30, the Azerbaijani Soviet government issued a note to the Dashnak government of Armenia, demanding the removal of Armenian armed forces from the territories of Karabakh and Zangazur, the withdrawal of Armenian troops to within their borders, and an end to interethnic violence.

On May 1, a telegram was sent to the Armenian government signed by Sergey Kirov (Russia’s plenipotentiary representative in Georgia), Sergey Orjonikidze (head of the Caucasus Bureau of the Central Committee of the Russian Communist (Bolshevik) Party), and Mikhail Levandovski (commander of the 11th Red Army), demanding that Armenian forces withdraw from Azerbaijani territory within 24 hours.

By decree of the Azerbaijani Revolutionary Committee dated May 18, 1920, the Extraordinary Commissioner position was established in Karabakh and Zangazur districts. Later, by a resolution of the Political Bureau of the Azerbaijani Communist (Bolshevik) Party on August 26, 1920, Aliheydar Shirvani (Mustafabeyov) was appointed as Extraordinary Commissioner, with the Armenian Armenak Garagozov as his deputy.

Russia’s Foreign Minister Georgy Chicherin claimed that Nariman Narimanov wanted Russian armed forces to occupy Karabakh, Zangazur, and Nakhchivan and “gift” them to Azerbaijan — something he firmly opposed.

On July 17, Commander of the Red Army Corps, Aleksandr Todorski, sent a telegram to N. Narimanov announcing the complete liberation of Zangazur from Dashnak oppression and the establishment of Soviet rule in the region.

On August 3, Dro's detachment attacked the 32nd division of Bolshevik forces and captured Gorus. Following thorough preparation, units of the 11th Army expelled Dro's and Njdeh's military forces from Sisian and Kafan between August 5-7, and liberated Gorus on August 9. The remnants of Dro's detachments retreated once again to Daralayaz, while Njdeh's forces took up positions in the Meghri district.

On August 10, a peace treaty was signed in Iravan between Soviet Russia and Dashnak Armenia. The third clause of the treaty stipulated that the occupation of disputed territories by Soviet forces did not resolve the issue of whether these territories legally belonged to Azerbaijan or Armenia. Thus, through this treaty, Soviet Russia indicated that it did not recognize Zangazur as part of Soviet Azerbaijan, aiming with this step to attract Armenia—which had been cooperating with the Entente—to its side.

In early September 1920, Njdeh declared himself the supreme commander of all Armenian armed units in Zangazur.

On November 29, the Dashnak government in Armenia was overthrown, and Soviet power was established. On November 30, during a joint session of the Political and Organizational Bureaus of the Central Committee of the Azerbaijan Communist (Bolshevik) Party, a telegram from the Revolutionary Committee of Armenia announcing the establishment of Soviet rule in Armenia was discussed, resulting in a decision contrary to Azerbaijan’s interests. The decision stated that no border existed between Soviet Azerbaijan and Soviet Armenia; Zangazur and Nakhchivan were transferred to Soviet Armenia, and the mountainous part of Karabakh was granted the right to self-determination.

On December 1, at a ceremonial meeting of the Baku Soviet held to mark the establishment of Soviet power in Armenia, Nariman Narimanov, Chairman of the Revolutionary Committee of Azerbaijan, made a statement. In this statement, it was declared that "the territories of Zangazur and Nakhchivan districts are indivisible parts of Soviet Armenia, and the working peasants of Nagorno-Karabakh are granted the right to self-determination."

In the text of the statement published in the December 7 issue of the newspaper “Kommunist”, published in Iravan, Upper Karabakh was declared as part of the Armenian Socialist Republic. Nariman Narimanov strongly protested against the distortion of the content of his original statement.

On December 2, 1920, a military-political treaty was signed in Iravan between Soviet Russia and Soviet Armenia. In exchange for Armenia’s sovietization, Russia unequivocally recognized the inclusion of the entire former Iravan Governorate, Zangazur district, and the mountainous part of Gazakh district into Soviet Armenia.

At that time, of the six regions existing within the Zangazur district, four were occupied by Soviet troops, while two (the 1st and 5th regions) remained under Njdeh’s forces.

On December 25, 1920, colonel Njdeh, stationed with his forces at the Tatev Monastery, declared the establishment of the "Syunik Autonomous Republic" in the part of Zangazur still under his control. On January 21, 1921, the "Republic of Mountainous Armenia" was proclaimed in Zangazur, led by Simon Vrasyan, who had briefly served as prime minister for a week during Dashnak Armenia. Colonel Njdeh continued to command the armed forces of this puppet republic.

By May 25, 1921, when the Soviet 11th Army command began preparations for new military operations, Njdeh's armed units had entrenched themselves in the Bazarchay and Kafan regions. Bolshevik troops advanced toward Zangazur simultaneously from two directions: Karabakh and Iravan. The Iravan group of the 11th Army, known as the Separate Caucasus Army, launched an offensive from three sides: from Vedi toward Keshishkand (Daralayaz), from Nakhchivan toward Angalavid (Sisian), and from Ordubad toward Meghri. This group liberated Daralayaz on June 26, the Bichanak Pass on June 28, and the entire Sisian region on June 30 from Dashnak forces. On July 2, the Karabakh-Zangazur group, advancing from Shusha, joined forces with the Iravan group and entered Gorus. Njdeh's detachment withdrew from the Tatev Monastery on July 4, and from the Kafan copper mine region on July 7. On July 9, Njdeh, together with his remaining forces, crossed the Araz River from Meghri and fled to Iran.

On July 20, 1921, the Council of People's Commissars of Armenia approved an administrative-territorial division comprising 8 districts and 33 sub-districts. On August 31, a new, ninth district—Zangazur district—was established with its center in the city of Gorus. Consequently, Azerbaijan removed the western part of Zangazur from its administrative-territorial division. Thus, Zangazur was divided into two parts, with its western portion incorporated into Armenia. Subsequently, the Meghri, Kafan, Sisian, and Gorus districts were created in the territory of Western Zangazur.

On February 18, 1929, the Presidium of the Central Executive Committee of the South Caucasus adopted a resolution transferring the villages of Nuvadi, Ernazir, and Tughut from Azerbaijan SSR’s Jabrayil district to the Armenian SSR. This transfer created a corridor approximately 42 kilometers long, known today as the "Meghri corridor," providing Armenia with direct access to foreign territories through Iran. By seizing Western Zangazur, Armenians established an artificial barrier between Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan, and simultaneously between Azerbaijan and Türkiye.

In 1929, by another decision of the Central Executive Committee of the South Caucasus, 657 square kilometers of territory belonging to Nakhchivan were transferred to Armenia. This included the villages of Gurdgulag, Khachik, Horadiz from the Sharur district; Oghbin, Aghkhach, Almali, Itgiran, and Sultanbay villages from Shahbuz area in the Nakhchivan district; Gorchevan village from the Ordubad district; and part of Kilid village lands. In 1938, parts of the territories of Shadarak and Karki villages were also transferred to Armenia, resulting in Karki becoming an enclave that was occupied by Armenian forces in 1990.

In 1984, 2,105 hectares of land belonging to the village of Kamarli in Gazakh district were given to Armenia.

Armenian researcher A. Badalyan, in his article on Armenia’s population, notes that 5.4% of Nakhchivan district, 59.6% of Zangazur district, 44.5% of Gazakh district, 35.3% of Borchali district, and 14.7% of Kars district were incorporated into Soviet Armenia.

Calculations based on these data show the following results: 5.4% of Nakhchivan district’s 4,998 sq. km equals 270 sq. km; 59.6% of Zangazur district’s 7,673 sq. km equals 4,573 sq. km; 44.5% of Gazakh district’s 6,855 sq. km equals 3,051 sq. km; 35.3% of Borchali district’s 6,165 sq. km equals 2,176 sq. km; 14.7% of Kars district’s 5,905 sq. km. (including 36 villages of the Aghbaba area and 8 villages of the Shorayel area) equals 868 sq. km. When summed together, these figures indicate that, with direct assistance from Moscow after 1921, the territory of Armenia expanded by approximately 11,000 sq. km.

Currently, the territory of the Republic of Armenia, established on historical Azerbaijani lands, covers an area of 29,743 sq. km.

 

Nazim Mustafa

Doctor of Philosophy in History