GANJA IN THE ARMENIAN OCCUPATION PLANS (1920-1930)

Abstract

This article examines the political endeavours of the Socialist Republic of Armenia responsible for injustice decisions against the Azerbaijani territories including the Azerbaijani city of Ganja between the years of 1920 and 1930. It has been shown that the leadership of Cahangir Bay Kazimbeyov and the national military troops of Azerbaijan put forward the will of the Azerbaijani people against occupation by their resistance against the Bolshevik troops in April-May 1920. The main aim of the resistance groups, who carefully examined the strategic environment, the current balance of power and the military power of the rival troops, was to re-establish the national Azerbaijani state in Ganja. The Bolsheviks, however, did not allow this to occur and called for extra troops. Although the XI Army of the Bolsheviks lost 8,5 thousand troops, they succeeded to quash the rebellion of the Azerbaijani on May 31, 1920. Azerbaijani generals were executed by a Bolshevik firing squad on the island of Nargin, the National Army of Azerbaijan was abolished, and 12 thousand Muslims were killed. From the very outset of the Sovietization on, the Armenians raised territorial claims on Ganja by the help of the Russians, as like they did for other territories of Azerbaijan. By making use of different pretexts, the Armenians demanded the following villages to be incorporated into Nagorno-Karabakh from the Central Government of the Soviet Union in Moscow:Siyah-çınar, Yeni-kend, Aşağı Ağcakend, Yukarı Ağcakend, Manaşid, Qaxtut, Buzluq, Xarxaput, Erkec, Boris (Armenian), Boris (Russian), Gülistan, Sarısu (Turkish) and Gürzuler. However, the demands of the Armenians doomed to fail because the people of Ganja and the Azerbaijani rulers of that period opposed the demands strongly and provided solid documentary evidence to the Central Soviet Government proving that Ganja belongs to Azerbaijan. Consequently, Ganja remained Azerbaijani and thus the Armenians and the Soviet Government became unsuccessful in their quest.