The Karabakh conflict

The Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh in the Armenian Highlands has an area of 4.5 thousand square meters. Kilometers.

The Karabakh conflict, which became the cause of hatred and mutual enmity between formerly friendly nations, dates back to the 1920s. It was at this time that the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, now called Artsakh, turned into an apple of discord between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Even before the October Revolution, these two republics, dragged into the Karabakh conflict, along with neighboring Georgia, took part in territorial disputes. And in the spring of 1920, the current Azerbaijanis, whom the Russians called the "Caucasian Tatars," with the support of Turkish interventionists, massacred the Armenians, who at that time accounted for 94% of the total population of Artsakh. The main blow fell on the administrative center - the city of Shushi, where more than 25 thousand people were cut out. The Armenian part of the city was wiped from the face of the earth.

But the Azerbaijanis lost their way: having killed Armenians, destroying Shushi, they, although they became masters in the region, received a completely destroyed economy, which had to be restored for several decades.

The Bolsheviks, unwilling to flare up full-scale military actions, recognize Artsakh as one of the parts of Armenia, together with two regions - Zangezur and Nakhichevan.

However, Joseph Stalin, who in those years was the People's Commissar for National Affairs, under the pressure of Baku and the then leader of the Turks, Ataturk, forcibly changes the status of the republic and transfers it to Azerbaijan.

This decision causes a storm of indignation and indignation among the Armenian population. In fact, it was it that provoked the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Almost a hundred years have passed since then. In the following years Artsakh, being part of Azerbaijan, secretly continued to struggle for its independence. Letters were sent to Moscow about attempts of official Baku to eradicate all Armenians from this mountainous republic; however, all these complaints and requests for reunification with Armenia were answered only by "socialist internationalism".

The Karabakh conflict, whose causes lie in violation of the people's right to self-determination, arose against a background of a very alarming situation. With respect to the Armenians in 1988, an open policy of eviction began. The situation was heated.

In the meantime, official Baku developed its own plan, according to which the Karabakh conflict was to be resolved: all Armenians were cut out in the city of Sumgait overnight.

At the same time, multimillion-dollar rallies began in Yerevan, the main requirement of which was to consider the possibility of Karabakh withdrawing from Azerbaijan, the response to which were actions in Kirovabad.

It was at this time that the first refugees appeared in the USSR, who left their homes in panic.

Thousands of people, mostly old people, came to Armenia, where camps were established throughout the territory for them.

The Karabakh conflict has gradually escalated into a real war. In Armenia, volunteers were formed, regular troops were sent from Azerbaijan to Karabakh. Hunger began in the republic.

In 1992, Armenians captured Lachin, a corridor between Armenia and Artsakh, putting an end to the blockade of the republic. At the same time, significant territories were also seized in Azerbaijan itself.

The unrecognized republic of Artsakh after the collapse of the USSR held a referendum, at which it was decided to declare its independence.

In 1994, in Bishkek, with the participation of Russia, a trilateral agreement was signed on the cessation of hostilities.

The Karabakh conflict is still one of the most tragic pages of reality to this day. This is why Russia, as well as the entire world community, is trying to solve it peacefully.