Nagorno-Karabakh Military conflict 1987 1991. Conflict Nagorno-Karabakh Reasons - History of the Catastrophe
In the first days of August, the escalation of conflict tension occurred in the zone of Nagorno-Karabakh, which led to human victims.
This confrontation continues since 1988. At the same time, from the beginning of the XX century, the area of \u200b\u200bNagorno-Karabakh twice became the arena of bloody Armenian-Azerbaijani clashes. AIFRU.ru talks about the history and causes of the intersdic Karabakh conflict, which has long-standing historical and cultural roots, and what led to his exacerbation today.
History of the Karabakh conflict
The territory of modern Nagorno-Karabakh in II century. BC e. It was attached to the Great Armenia and for about six centuries was part of the province of Artsakh. At the end of the IV century. n. E., During the section of Armenia, this territory was included in the Persia to its vassal state - Caucasian Albania. From the middle of the 6th century, until the end of the IX century, Karabakh falls under Arabic dominion, but in the IX-XVI centuries, it becomes part of the Armenian feudal principality of Hacchable. Up to mid-XVIII century, Nagorno-Karabakh is under the rule of the Union of Armenian Meliches Hams. In the second half of the XVIII century, Nagorno-Karabakh with the predominant Armenian population entered the Karabakh Khanate, and in 1813, as part of the Karabakh Khanate in the Gulistan Peace Agreement - to the Russian Empire.
Karabakh committee on truce, 1918. Photo: Commons.Wikimedia.org.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the region with the prevailing Armenian population twice (in 1905-1907 and in 1918-1920) became the arena of bloody Armenian-Azerbaijani clashes.
In May 1918, in connection with the revolution and the collapse of the Russian statehood, three independent states were proclaimed in Transcaucasia, including the Azerbaijani Democratic Republic (mainly on the lands of the Baku and Elizavetpol province, the Zabansky district), where the Karabakh region was also.
The Armenian population of Karabakh and Zangezur, however, refused to obey the ADR authorities. On July 22, 1918, the First Congress of Armenian Karabakh, convened on July 22, 1918, proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh by an independent administrative-political unit and elected his own national government (from September 1918 - Armenian National Council of Karabakh).
Ruins of the Armenian Quarter of the city of Shusha, 1920. Photo: Commons.Wikimedia.org / Pavel Shekhtman
The confrontation between Azerbaijani troops and Armenian armed detachments continued in the region until establishing Soviet power in Azerbaijan. At the end of April 1920, Azerbaijani troops occupied the territory of Karabakh, Zangezura and Nakhichevan. By mid-June 1920, the resistance of Armenian armed detachments in Karabakh with soviet troops It was suppressed.
On November 30, 1920, Azrevsky provided his right to self-determination by Nagorno-Karabakh. However, despite the autonomy, the territory continued to remain the Azerbaijan SSR, which led to the tension of the conflict: in the 1960s, socio-economic tensions in NCAO several times surrendered into mass riots.
What happened to Karabakh during the restructuring?
In 1987 - early 1988, the dissatisfaction with the Armenian population intensified its socio-economic situation in the region, which was influenced by the President of the USSR by Mikhail Gorbachev, the policy of democratization of the Soviet public life and the weakening of political restrictions.
Protest sentiments were warmed by Armenian nationalist organizations, and the actions of the nascent national movement skillfully organized and sent.
The leadership of the Azerbaijan SSR and the Communist Party of Azerbaijan, for its part, tried to settle the situation by using the usual command-bureaucratic levers, which in the new situation turned out to be ineffective.
In October 1987, student strikes were held in the region with the requirement of the Karabakh branch, and on February 20, 1988, the session of the regional council of the NCAO appealed to the Supreme Council of the USSR and the Supreme Council of the Azerbaijan SSR with a request to convey the area to Armenia. In the regional center, Stepanakert, and Yerevan passed thousands of rallies with nationalist painting.
Most of the Azerbaijanis who lived in Armenia were forced to flee. In February 1988, Armenian pogroms began in Sumgait, thousands of Armenian refugees appeared.
In June 1988, the Supreme Council of Armenia gave consent to the entry of NKAO to the Armenian SSR, and the Azerbaijan Supreme Council - on the preservation of NKAO as part of Azerbaijan, followed by the elimination of autonomy.
On July 12, 1988, the regional council of Nagorno-Karabakh decided to leaving the composition of Azerbaijan. At the meeting on July 18, 1988, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR came to the conclusion about the impossibility of transferring NKAO Armenia.
In September 1988, armed clashes began between Armenians and Azerbaijanis, which turned into a protracted armed conflictAs a result of which there were large human sacrifices. As a result of the successful hostilities of Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh (in Armenian Artsa), this territory emerged from under the control of Azerbaijan. The decision of the issue of the official status of Nagorno-Karabakh was postponed indefinitely.
Speech in support of the separation of Nagorno-Karabakh from Azerbaijan. Yerevan, 1988. Photo: Commons.Wikimedia.org / Gorzaim
What happened to Karabakh after the collapse of the USSR?
In 1991, full-fledged military operations began in Karabakh. Through the referendum (December 10, 1991), Nagorno-Karabakh tried to get the right to full independence. The attempt failed, and this region became hostage of antagonistic claims of Armenia and attempts to Azerbaijan to keep power.
The result of full-scale hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh 1991 - the beginning of 1992 was a complete or partial seizure of the regular Armenian parts of seven Azerbaijani districts. Following this, combat operations using the most modern weapons systems twisted on the internal Azerbaijan and the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.
Thus, until 1994, Armenian troops occupied 20% of the territory of Azerbaijan, destroyed and plundered 877 settlements, and the number of dead is about 18 thousand people, and the wounded and disabled people are more than 50 thousand.
In 1994, with the help of Russia, Kyrgyzstan, as well as the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of the CIS in Bishkek, Armenia, Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan signed a protocol, on the basis of which an agreement on the cease-fire was reached.
What happened in Karabakh in August 2014?
In the Zone of the Karabakh conflict at the end of July - in August 2014 there was a sharp escalation of tension, which led to human victims. On July 31 of this year, the Armenian-Azerbaijani border was shylitting between the troops of the two states, as a result of which the servicemen were killed on both sides.
Stand at the entrance to the NKR with the inscription "Welcome to the Free Artsakh" in Armenian and Russian. 2010. Photo: COMMONS.WIKIMEDIA.ORG / LORI-M
What is the version of Azerbaijan about the conflict in Karabakh?
According to Azerbaijan, on the night of August 1, 2014, the reconnaissance and sabotage groups of the Armenian army took an attempt to go through the contact of the troops of the two states in the territory of the Agdam and Territsky districts. As a result, four Azerbaijani servicemen died.
What is the version of Armenia about the conflict in Karabakh?
According to the official Yerevan, everything happened exactly to the opposite. Official position Armenia states that the Azerbaijani sabotage group penetrated the territory of the unrecognized republic and fired the Armenian territory from artillery and small arms.
At the same time, Baku, according to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Edward NalbandianIt does not agree to the proposal of the world community to investigate incidents in the border zone, and therefore, according to the Armenian side, Azerbaijan is responsible for violation of the truce.
According to the Armenian Ministry of Defense, only for the period on August 4-5 of this year, Baku resumed the enemy shelling about 45 times, using artillery, including large-caliber weapons. From Armenia for this period, the victims are not.
What is the version of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) on the conflict in Karabakh?
According to the army of defense of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR), a week from July 27 to August 2, Azerbaijan has violated a truce regime established since 1994 in the conflict zone in Nagorno-Karabakh, as a result of action on both sides, about 24 human.
Currently, the shootout between the parties is carried out, including using large-caliber arms and artillery - mortars, anti-aircraft plants and even thermobaric grenades. The shelling of border settlements was also frequent.
What is Russia's response to conflict in Karabakh?
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation regarded the exacerbation of the situation, "the prerelevant significant human sacrifices," as a serious violation of the cease-fire agreements of 1994. The agency urged "to show restraint, to abandon the use of force and take immediate measures aimed at stabilizing the situation."
What is the US response to the conflict in Karabakh?
The US State Department, in turn, encouraged to observe the cease-fire regime, and the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan - to meet at the first opportunity and resume dialogue on key issues.
"We also urge the parties to adopt the proposal of the OSCE Chairman about the beginning of negotiations, which can lead to the signing of a peace agreement," the State Department said.
It is noteworthy that on August 2 armenian Prime Minister Ovik Abrahamyan said that the President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan and President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev May meet in Sochi on 8 or August 9 of this year.
Tbilisi, 3 Apr - Sputnik. The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan began in 1988, when the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region announced the exit from the Azerbaijan SSR. Negotiations on the peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict have been conducted since 1992 within the OSCE Minsk Group.
Nagorno-Karabakh - the historical region in the Transcaucasus. The population (as of January 1, 2013) - 146.6 thousand people, the overwhelming majority - Armenians. The administrative center is the city of Stepanakert.
History of the question
Armenian and Azerbaijani sources have different points of view on the history of the region. According to Armenian sources, Nagorno-Karabakh (the ancient Armenian name - Artsakh) at the beginning of the first millennium BC. He entered into the political and cultural sphere of Assyria and Urartu. First mentioned in Krinopysi Sardura II, King Urartu (763-734 BC). In the early Middle Ages, Nagorno-Karabakh was part of Armenia, armenian sources argue. After most of this country in the Middle Ages were captured by Turkey and Persia, the Armenian principalities (Melichesia) of Nagorno-Karabakh preserved a semi-independent status. IN XVII-XVIII centuries Artsakh Princes (Meliki) headed the liberation struggle of the Armenians against the Shah Persia and the Sultan Turkey.
According to Azerbaijani sources, Karabakh is one of the most ancient historical regions of Azerbaijan. According to the official version, the emergence of the term "Karabakh" refers to the VII century and is interpreted as a combination of Azerbaijani words "Gara" (black) and "Bag" (Garden). Among other provinces of Karabakh (Ganja in Azerbaijani terminology) in the XVI century was part of the Sefavid state, later became an independent Karabakh Khanate.
In 1813, in the Gulistan peace treaty, Nagorno-Karabakh became part of Russia.
At the beginning of May 1920, Soviet power was established in Karabakh. On July 7, 1923, the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region (JSC) in the Azerbaijan SSR with the administrative center in the village of Hankend (now Stepanakert) was formed from the Nagorno-Karabakh region (part of the former Elizavepol province).
How the war began
On February 20, 1988, the extraordinary session of the regional council of NKAO deputies decided "On the petition to the Supreme Sovieties of AzSSR and the Armsman on the transfer of NKAO from the AZSSR to the Armsman."
The refusal of the Union and Azerbaijani authorities summoned the protest of Armenians not only in Nagorno-Karabakh, but also in Yerevan.
On September 2, 1991, a joint session of the Nagorno-Karabakh regional and chaumyan district councils took place in Stepanakert, who adopted a declaration on the proclamation of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic within the borders of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region, the Shaumyan district and part of the Khanlar district of the former Azerbaijani SSR.
December 10, 1991, a few days before the official decay Soviet UnionIn Nagorno-Karabakh, a referendum was held, at which the overwhelming majority of the population - 99.89% - expressed full independence from Azerbaijan.
Official Baku recognized this act illegal and abolished the autonomy of Karabakh existing in the Soviet years. After this, an armed conflict began, during which Azerbaijan tried to keep Karabakh, and Armenian detachments defended the independence of the region with the support of Yerevan and the Armenian diaspora from other countries.
Victims and losses
The losses of both sides during the Karabakh conflict were, according to various sources, up to 25 thousand people were killed, more than 25 thousand were injured, hundreds of thousands of civilians left the place of residence, more than four thousand people missing the missing.
As a result of the conflict, Azerbaijan lost over Nagorno-Karabakh and - in whole or in part - the seven areas adjacent to it.
Conversation
On May 5, 1994, with the mediation of Russia, Kyrgyzstan and the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of the CIS in the capital of Kyrgyzstan Bishkek, representatives of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Azerbaijani and Armenian communities of Nagorno-Karabakh signed a protocol to stop fire on the night from 8 to 9 May. This document entered the history of the Karabakh conflict resolution as Bishkek Protocol.
The negotiation process for resolving the conflict began in 1991. Since 1992, negotiations on the peaceful settlement of the conflict under the Minsk Group of Safety and Cooperation Organization in Europe (OSCE) on the settlement of the Karabakh conflict, the co-chairs of which are US, Russia and France. The group also includes Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Finland and Turkey.
Since 1999, regular bilateral and tripartite meetings of the leaders of the two countries are held. The last meeting of the Presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia Ilham Aliyev and Serzh Sargsyan as part of the negotiation process on the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh problem took place on December 19, 2015 in Bern (Switzerland).
Despite the environment negotiation process, it is known that their basis are the so-called updated Madrid principles transferred to the OSCE Minsk Group to the parties to the conflict on January 15, 2010. The basic principles of the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, referred to as Madrid, were presented in November 2007 in the capital of Spain.
Azerbaijan insists on the preservation of its territorial integrity, Armenia protects the interests of the unrecognized republic, since NKR is not a party to negotiations.
https: //www.Syt/2016-04-03/konflikt_v_nagornom_karabahe_nagornom_karabahe_na_na_kogo_napal_i_pri_chem_tut_turciya.
New war under the side of Russia
Conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh: What happens to who attacked anyone, what have Turkey and Russia
In Nagorno-Karabakh - a serious aggravation of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which can turn into a full-fledged war. The site collected the most important thing about what is happening for this hour.
What happened?
On the morning of April 2, it became known about the sharp exacerbation of the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan and Armenia mutually accused each other in shelling and offensive actions. In the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan, they stated that Armenia was 127 times violated the cease-fire regime, including the Military used mortars and large-caliber machine guns. Armenian authorities reported that this, on the contrary, Azerbaijan violated a truce and conducts fighting using tanks, artillery and aviation.
The press service of the defense army of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic stated that helicopted the Mi-24/35 helicopter of the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan, but this information was denied in Baku. Armenia reported that Azerbaijan also lost the tank and drone.
Later, Armenia reported on 18 killed military personnel, and Azerbaijan - about 12. In Nagorno-Karabakh, they also talked about the victims among civilians, including those who died as a result of shelling children.
What is the situation at the moment?
Collisions continue. Azerbaijan stated that on the night of from 2 to April 3, cross-border villages were attached to shelling, although there were no killed. Baku argues that during the "response" were captured by several settlements and strategic heights in Nagorno-Karabakh, but in Yerevan, this information is refuted, and who can be believed - so far it is not clear. Both sides talk about the big losses of opponents. In Azerbaijan, for example, we are confident that six enemy tanks have already destroyed, 15 artists and fortifications, and the losses killed and wounded by the enemy amounted to 100 people. In Yerevan, this is called "disinformation."
In turn, the Karabakh infantry "Artsakhpress" reported that "in total during the fighting on the night from 1 to April 2, and throughout the day the Azerbaijani army lost more than 200 military personnel. Only in the direction of the talysh was destroyed at least 30 soldiers of the Azerbaijani detachment special purpose, in the direction of the Marparet - 2 tank, 2 drone, and in the northern direction - 1 helicopter. " Armenian Ministry of Defense published a video of a shot down Azerbaijani helicopter and photographs of the body of the crew.
As usual, both parties call each other "invaders" and "terrorists", the most contradictory information is published, even to photographs and videos it is better to relate skeptically. Modern war is the information war.
How the world powers responded
The aggravation of the conflict agitated all world powers, including Russia and the United States. At the official level, everyone calls for a speedy settlement, a truce, cessation of fire, and so on.
Russian President Vladimir Putin one of the first expressed regret that the situation in the conflict zone was again rolled towards the armed confrontation. According to the press secretary of President Dmitry Peskov, the head of state calls for an immediate cessation of fire in the region. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov held talks with colleagues from Armenia and Azerbaijan, also encouraging them to stop conflict.
In favor of a speedy settlement, the German Foreign Minister Frank Walter Steinmayer and French President Franus Hollande.
Americans acted in the same tonality. "The United States is the most decisive condemn the large-scale violation of the truce along the contact line in Nagorno-Karabakh, which reportedly turned into victims, including among the civilian population," said US Secretary of State John Kerry.
Following this, all participants in the so-called Minsk Group of OSCE, which deals with conflicts in Nagorno-Karabakh, called for the situation to stabilize the situation. "We strongly condemn the use of force and regret the meaningless death of people, including civilians," the representatives of Russia, France and the United States says in a joint statement. The Minsk Group will meet in Vienna on April 5 to discuss in detail the emerging situation.
In the evening of Saturday, the conflict commented on the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. He also called for a truce observing.
Where does Russia, Turkey and the West?
At the same time, Turkish authorities expressed support for only one side of the conflict - Azerbaijan. Turkey and Azerbaijan bind close partnerships, it is politically and ethnically close countries. Turkish President Recep Tiaich Erdogan expressed Ilham Aliyev condolences in connection with the death of Azerbaijani soldiers. Phone talks Aliyev and Erdogan covered in the media of two states. It was emphasized that Aliyev considers the "provocation on the line of contact of the troops" and calls the actions of the Azerbaijani military "adequate response".
Since Turkey and Russia's relations are now much to be desired, some observers regard the aggravation of the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh as an attempt to Turkey (and, presumably, countries of the West) prevent Russia's strengthening of Russia in the Caucasus region, Transcaucasia, the Black Sea. For example, the site "Free Press" suggested that "US and British have done everything possible to challenge Russia and Turkey by foreheads. From this point of view, Karabakh strengthens the confrontation between Moscow and Ankara. "
Ministry of Defense NKR
"Azerbaijan has all recently demonstrated that he remains the faithful ally of Turkey, and is now trying to receive dividends from this. Baku hopes to defrost the Karabakh conflict, and solve the Karabakh problem in his favor under the political cover of Ankara, "said Sergey Yermakov, deputy director of the Tavrichesky Information and Analytical Center for Rici Sergey Ermakov.
At the same time, the scientific officer of the Analytical Center for International Research Institute MGIMO Leonid Gusev in an interview with Ridus agency said that Azerbaijan and Armenia could hardly begin a full-fledged war, and Turkey is another major conflict and at all. "I don't think it can happen. Turkey today has large problems in addition to Azerbaijan and Karabakh. She is now much more important to somehow to ride the conflict with Russia, rather than enter with her in some, albeit even absentee war. Moreover, in my opinion, there are some minimal positive shifts in relations between Turkey and Russia, "he believes.
What happens in the Karabakh itself?
There are preparing for war. According to the Agency Sputnik Armenia, the administration of the republic shares lists of reservists and organizes the collection of volunteers. Hundreds of people, according to the authorities, are sent to the collision areas. According to the agency, in the capital of the NKR Stepanetaert at the same time, at the same time, night cafes are worked.
Because of what conflict
Since 1988, Armenia and Azerbaijan since 1988 cannot agree on the belonging of Nagorno-Karabakh - extensive terrain on the border of the two countries. IN soviet time It was the autonomous region of the Azerbaijan SSR, however, its main population is ethnic Armenians. In 1988, the area announced the exit from the ASSR. In 1992-1994, Azerbaijan, during a military conflict, completely lost control over Nagorno-Karabakh, and the terrain proclaimed independence, calling himself the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR).
Since then, the world community cannot talk about the fate of the NKR. Russia, USA, France is involved in the OSCE negotiations. Armenia advocates the independence of the NKR, and Azerbaijan seeks to return the territory to its state. Although the NKR formally is not recognized by the state, the Armenian community around the world does a lot to lobbying the interests of Armenia in conflict. For example, a number of US states adopted resolutions on recognition of the independence of the NKR.
To say that some countries are definitely "for Armenia," and others "for Azerbaijan" (except for Turkey), perhaps, it is impossible. Russia has friendly relations with both countries.
Armenian soldiers in positions in Nagorno-Karabakh
The Nagorno-Carbakh conflict has become one of the ethnopolitical conflicts of the second half of the 1980s on the territory of the then still existing USSR. The collapse of the Soviet Union led to large-scale structural shifts in the sphere of ethno national relations. The confrontation between the National Republics and the Union Center, which caused the systemic crisis and the beginning of centrifugal processes, reanimated the solar processes of ethnic and national character. State-legal, territorial, socio-economic, geopolitical interests intertwined into one node. The struggle of some republics against the Union Center in some cases turned out the struggle against autonomy against its republican "metropolis." Such conflicts were, for example, Georgian-Abkhaz, Georgian-Ossetian, Transnistrian conflicts. But the most large-scale and bloody, which turned into the actual war of two independent states was the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict in the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region (NKAO), later the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR). In this confrontation, the line of ethnic opposition of the parties immediately arose, and the opposing parties on the ethnic basis were formed: Armenians-Azerbaijanis.
Armenian-Azerbaijani confrontation in Nagorno-Karabakh had a long history. It is worth noting that the territory of Karabakh was attached to Russian Empire In 1813, as part of the Karabakh Khanate. Interethnic contradictions led to major Armenian-Azerbaijani clashes in 1905-1907 and 1918-1920. In May 1918, in connection with the revolution in Russia, the Azerbaijani Democratic Republic appeared. However, the Armenian population of Karabakh, whose territory entered the ADR, refused to obey the new authorities. The armed confrontation continued until the establishment Soviet power In this region, in 1920, then parts of the Red Army, together with Azerbaijani troops, were able to suppress Armenian resistance to Karabakh. In 1921, the decision of the Kavburo of the Central Committee of the CPSU (b) the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh was left within the Azerbaijan SSR with the provision of broad autonomy. In 1923, the districts of the Azerbaijan SSR with mainly Armenian population were combined into the autonomous region of Nagorno-Karabakh (AONK), which since 1937 began to be called the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region (NKAO). At the same time, the administrative boundaries of autonomy did not coincide with the ethnic one. Armenian leadership from time to time raised the question of the transfer of Nagorno-Karabakh Armenia, but in the center it was decided to establish the status quo in the region. Socio-economic tension in Karabakh has surrendered into mass riots in the 1960s. At the same time, the Karabakh Armenians felt disadvantaged in cultural and political rights in the territory of Azerbaijan. However, the Azerbaijani minority both in NKAO and the Armenian SSR (who did not have its own autonomy) put forward counter-discrimination.
Since 1987, the region has increased the dissatisfaction of the Armenian population with its socio-economic situation. Charged to the leadership of the Azerbaijan SSR in preserving the economic backwardness of the region, in the infringement of the rights, culture and identity of the Armenian minority in Azerbaijan. In addition, the existing problems, previously silent, after the coming to the power of Gorbachev quickly became a wealth of wide publicity. At rallies in Yerevan, caused by discontent with the economic crisis, called calls to transfer NKAO to Armenia. Nationalist Armenian organizations, the nascent national movement was heated protests. The new leadership of Armenia was opened by the opposition local nomenclature and the ruling communist regime as a whole. Azerbaijan, in turn, remained one of the most conservative republics of the USSR. Local authorities led by G. Niyev, suppressed all sorts of political dissent and remained to the last faithful center. Unlike Armenia, where most of the party functionaries expressed their readiness to cooperate with the national movement, the Azerbaijani political leadership was able to keep power until 1992 in the fight against the so-called. national democratic movement. However, the leadership of the Azerbaijan SSR, state and law enforcement agencies, which used old levers of influence, were not ready for events in NKAO and Armenia provoked, in turn, mass performances in Azerbaijan, created conditions for the uncontrolled behavior of the crowd. In turn, the Soviet leadership, which was afraid that speeches in Armenia on the accession of NKAO may lead not only to the revision of national-territorial boundaries between the republics, but also can lead to the uncontrolled collapse of the USSR. The requirements of the Karabakh Armenians and the public of Armenia were considered as manifestations of nationalism contrary to the interests of the working people of the Armenian and Azerbaijan SSR.
During the summer of 1987 - Winter 1988. On the territory of the NKAO passed mass protests of Armenians demanding branches from Azerbaijan. In some places, these protests have surrendered into collisions with the police. At the same time, representatives of the Armenian intellectual elite, public, political, cultural figures tried to actively lobby the reunion of Karabakh with Armenia. Signatures were gathered among the population, delegations were sent to Moscow, representatives of the Armenian diaspora abroad were trying to attract the attention of the international public to the aspirations of Armenians to reunification. At the same time, the Azerbaijani leadership, which announced the unacceptability of the revision of the borders of the Azerbaijan SSR, conducted a policy of using familiar levers to return control over the situation. A large delegation of representatives of the leadership of Azerbaijan, a republican party organization was sent to Stepanakert. The group also included leaders of the republican Ministry of Internal Affairs, KGB, prosecutor's office and the Supreme Court. This delegation condemned the "extremist-separatist" moods in the region. In response to these actions in Stepanakert, a mass rally was organized about the reunification of the NKAO and the Armenian SSR. On February 20, 1988, the session of the NCAO Deputies was as follows to the leadership of the Azerbaijan SSR, the Armenian SSR and the USSR with a request to consider and positively resolve the issue of the transfer of NKAO from Azerbaijan to Armenia. However, the Azerbaijani authorities and the Politburo of the Central Committee of the CPSU refused to recognize the requirements of the regional council of NKAO. The central authorities and later stated that the border crossing is unacceptable, and calls for the entry of Karabakh to Armenia were declared the miscarions of "nationalists" and "extremists". Immediately after the appeal of the Armenian majority (Azerbaijani representatives refused to take part in the meeting) of the NCAO Regional Council on the Karabakhi Office from Azerbaijan, a slow slaughtering began to armed conflict. The first reports of acts of violence on interethnic soil in both ethnic communities appeared. The explosion of the rally activity of Armenians caused a response of the Azerbaijani community. It came to clashes with the use of firearms and the participation of law enforcement officers. The first victims of the conflict appeared. In February, a mass strike that lasted with interruptions until December 1989 began in NCAO, 22-23 of February was already in Baku and other cities of Azerbaijan, elemental rallies were held in support of the decision of the Politburo of the CPSU CPSU.
By the turning point in the development of an interethnic conflict, the Armenian pogrom in Sumgait on February 27-29, 1988 according to official data, 26 Armenians and 6 Azerbaijanis died. Similar events occurred in Kirovabada (now Ganja), where the armed crowd of Azerbaijanis attacked the Armenian community. However, compactly resident Armenians managed to repulse, which led to victims on both sides. All this happened with the inaction of the authorities and the rule of law, as some eyewitnesses claimed. As a result of clashes from NKAO, the flows of the Refugees-Azerbaijanis reached. Armenian refugees also appeared after the events in Stepanakert, Kirovabad and Shushe, when the rallies for the integrity of the Azerbaijani SSR have surrendered into inter-ethnic clashes and pogroms. Armenian-Azerbaijani clashes and on the territory of the Armenian SSR began. The reaction of the central authorities was the change of party leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan. On May 21, troops were introduced into Stepanakert. According to Azerbaijani sources, the Azerbaijani population was expelled from several cities of the Armenian SSR, in NKAO, as a result of the strike, the obstacles of local Azerbaijanis were repaired, which were not allowed to work. In June-July, the conflict adopted an inter-republican orientation. The Azerbaijan SSR and the Armenian SSR unleashed the so-called "war of laws". The Supreme Presidium of the AzSSR recognized the unacceptable decision of the NKAO Regulation on the exit from Azerbaijan. The Supreme Council of the Armenian SSR agreed to the entry of NKAO to the Armenian SSR. In July, mass strikes began in Armenia in connection with the decision of the Presidium of the CPSU Central Committee on the territorial integrity of the Azerbaijan SSR. Union management actually faced the Azerbaijan SSR on the issue of conservation of existing borders. After a number of clashes in NKAO, on September 21, 1988, a curfew and a special position were introduced. The rally activity in Armenia and Azerbaijan led to outbreaks of violence against the civilian population and increased the number of refugees who formed two counterflow. In October and the first half of November, the tension increased. Multiple meetings were held in Armenia and Azerbaijan, representatives of the Karabakh Party, who held a radical position on the accession of NKAO to Armenia, defeated the Supreme Council of the Republic of Armenian SSR in the Supreme Council of the Republic of Armenian SSR. The result of the results of the Council of Nationalities of the Supreme Council of the Council of Nationalities of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of the Council of Nationalities of the Supreme Council. In November 1988, the accumulated discontent in society based on the results of the Republican authorities policy in relation to the preservation of the NKAO resulted in thousands of rallies in Baku. The death sentence of one of the defendants in the case of the Pogromov in Sumgait Akhmedov, made by the Supreme Court of the USSR, provoked the wave of pogroms in Baku, rented on the entire Azerbaijan, especially in the city with the Armenian population - Kirovabad, Nakhichevan, Hanlar, Shamhor, Sheki, Kazakh, Mink Prone. The army and militia in most cases did not interfere in the events occurring. At the same time, the shelling of border villages in Armenia began. In Yerevan, a special position was also introduced and rallies and manifestations were banned, military equipment and battalions with special weapons were introduced into the streets of the city. At this time, the most massive flow of refugees, caused by violence both in Azerbaijan and in Armenia.
By this time, armed formations began to be created in both republics. In early May 1989, Armenians who lived north of NKAO began to create the first combat units. In the summer of the same year, Armenia introduced the blockade of the Nakhichevan ASSR. As a response, the People's Front of Azerbaijan introduced the economic and transport blockade of Armenia. On December 1, the Armenian SSR and the National Council of Nagorno-Karabakh at the joint meeting adopted a decision on the reunification of NKAO with Armenia. Since the beginning of 1990, armed clashes began - mutual artillery shelling at the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. In the deportation of the Azerbaijani forces of Armenians from the Shaumyan and Khanlar regions of Azerbaijan, helicopters and BTR were used for the first time. On January 15, the Presidium of the USSR Suns introduced a state of emergency in the NCAO, in the areas of the Azerbaijan SSR border with it, and on the Line of the USSR State Border on the territory of the Azerbaijan SSR. On January 20, internal troops were introduced in Baku to prevent the capturing of the power of the People's Front of Azerbaijan. This led to clashes, as a result of which up to 140 people died. Armenian militants began to penetrate settlements with the Azerbaijani population, committing acts of violence. Combat clashes of militants with internal troops are frequent. In turn, the divisions of the Azerbaijani Roson took shares on the invasion of the Armenian villages, which led to the death of civilians. Azerbaijani helicopters began to fake Stepanakert.
On March 17, 1991, a All-Union referendum was held on the preservation of the USSR, which supported the leadership of the Azerbaijan SSR. At the same time, the Armenian leadership, who adopted on August 23, 1990, the Declaration on the independence of Armenia, in every way prevented a referendum in the republic. On April 30, the so-called "Ring" operation began, conducted by the forces of the Azerbaijan MIA and the internal troops of the USSR. The purpose of the operation was announced disarmament of the illegal armed formations of Armenians. This operation, however, led to the death of a large number of civilians and the deportation of Armenians from 24 settlements in Azerbaijan. The escalation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict took place before the collapse of the USSR, the number of clashes grew, the parties used various types of weapons. From December 19 to December 27, the internal troops of the USSR was derived from the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. With the collapse of the USSR and the withdrawal of internal troops from the NKAO, the situation in the conflict zone became uncontrollable. The full-scale war of Armenia against Azerbaijan began for the NCAO output from the latter.
As a result of the section of the military property of the Soviet Army, derived from the Transcaucasus, the greatest part of the weapon went to Azerbaijan. On January 6, 1992, the Declaration on Independence of NKAO was adopted. Full-scale fighting began using tanks, helicopters, artillery and aviation. The combat units of the Armenian Armed Forces and Azerbaijani Omon attacked the enemy village, carrying large losses and inflicting civil infrastructure damage. On March 21, a temporary weekly truce was concluded, at the end of which on March 28, the Azerbaijani side took the largest offensive on Stepanakert since the beginning of the year. The attackers used the Grad system. However, the assault on the capital of NKAO ended to no avail, the Azerbaijani forces suffered large losses, the Armenian military took the original positions and discarded the enemy from Stepanakert.
In May, Armenian armed formations attacked Nakhichevan, the territory of Azerbaijani exclave, bordering Armenia, Turkey and Iran. From Azerbaijan, the shelling of the territory of Armenia were made. On June 12, the summer offensive of the Azerbaijani troops began until August 26. As a result of this offensive under the control of the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan, for a short time, the territory of the former Shaumian and Mardakert districts of NKAO was transferred. But it was the local success of the Azerbaijani Forces. As a result of the counteroffensiveness of the Armenians, the opponent had a strategic height in the Mardakert district, the Azerbaijani offensive itself had already exhausted by mid-July. In the course of combat actions, weapons and specialists were used by the USSR, mainly by the Azerbaijani side, in particular aviation, anti-aircraft installations. In September-October 1992, the Azerbaijani army undertook an unsuccessful attempt to block the Lachin Corridor - a small area of \u200b\u200bthe territory of Azerbaijan, who was located between Armenia and NKAO, which controlled Armenian armed formations. On November 17, the unfolded offensive of the NKR army began to Azerbaijani positions, which made a decisive fracture in the advantage of Armenians. The Azerbaijani side abandoned the offensive operations for a long time.
It is worth noting that from the very beginning of the military phase of the conflict, both sides began to accuse each other in the use of the rows of mercenaries. In many cases, these charges were confirmed. Azerbaijan's Armed Forces fought Afghan Mujahideen, Chechen mercenaries, including famous field commanders Shamil Basayev, Hattab, Salman Raduyev. Turkish, Russian, Iranian and allegedly American instructors also acted in Azerbaijan. Armenian volunteers who came from Middle Eastern countries were fighting on the side of Armenia, in particular from Lebanon and Syria. As part of the forces of both parties also operated former military personnel of the Soviet Army and mercenaries from the former Union republics. Both sides used armament from the warehouses of the Armed Forces of the Soviet Army. In early 1992, Azerbaijan got a squadron of combat helicopters and attack aircraft. In May of the same year, the official transfer of armaments of the 4th Commercial Army began to Azerbaijan: tanks, BTR, BMP, artistors, including Grad. By June 1, the Armenian side got tanks, BTR, BMP and artillery also from the Arsenal of the Soviet Army. The Azerbaijani side actively used aircraft and artillery in the bombing of NCAO settlements, the main purpose of which was the outcome of the Armenian population from the territory of autonomy. As a result of the raids and the shelling of civilian objects, a large number of victims among civilians were noted. However, the Armenian air defense is initially a rather weak, managed to resist the Azerbaijani aircraft aviation in connection with the increase in the number of anti-aircraft plants among Armenians. By 1994, the first aircraft appeared as part of Armenian Armed Forces, in particular, through the assistance of Russia as part of military cooperation on the CIS.
After the reflection of the summer offensive of the Azerbaijani troops, the Armenian side moved to active offensive actions. From March to September 1993, Armenian troops as a result of hostilities managed to take a number of settlements of NKAO, controlled by Azerbaijani forces. In August, the Russian envoy Vladimir Kazimirov achieved a temporary cease-fire extended until November. At a meeting with the Russian President B. Yeltsin, the President of Azerbaijan G. Aliyev announced the refusal to solve the conflict by the military. In Moscow, negotiations between the Azerbaijani authorities and representatives of Nagorno-Karabakh took place. However, in October 1993, Azerbaijan broke the truce and attempted an attempt on the south-western section of the NKAO. This offensive was chosen by the Armenians who switched to the counteroffensive on the southern section of the front and by November 1, a number of key areas took part, isolated from Azerbaijan, part of the Zangean, Jabrailian and Kubatlinsky districts. The Armenian army, thus, occupied the Areas of Azerbaijan north and south of directly NKAO.
In January-February, one of the most bloody battles took place at the final stage of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict - the battle for the Omar Pass. This battle began with the offensive in January 1994 of the Azerbaijani forces on the northern part of the front. It is worth noting that the fighting was conducted on an empty territory where there were no civilian population, as well as in hard weather conditions, on high mountains. In early February, the Azerbaijanis approached close to the city of Kelbajar, occupied a year earlier by Armenian forces. However, the initial success of the Azerbaijanis could not be developed. On February 12, Armenian parts were transferred to the counteroffensiveness, and the Azerbaijani forces had to retreat through the Omarsky pass to the initial positions. The losses of Azerbaijanis in this battle amounted to 4 thousand people, Armenians of 2 thousand kelbajar district remained under the control of the defense forces of the NKR.
On April 14, 1994, the Council of Heads of the CIS states on the initiative of Russia and with the direct participation of the presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia adopted a statement with a clear formulation of the issue of ceasefire as an urgent need to settle in Karabakh.
In April-May, Armenian forces as a result of the offensive on the ter territory forced Azerbaijani troops to retreat. On May 5, 1994, on the initiative of the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of the CIS, the Parliament of Kyrgyzstan, the Federal Assembly and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, a meeting was held, following which representatives of the Governments of Azerbaijan, Armenia and the NKR signed the Bishkek Protocol with a call to stop the fire on the night of May 8 on May 9, 1994 of the year. On May 9, the Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of Russia in Nagorno-Karabakh, Vladimir Kazimirov prepared a "an agreement on an indefinite ceasefire", which the Minister of Defense of Azerbaijan M. Mamedov signed on the same day in Baku. On May 10 and 11, "Agreement" was signed by the Minister of Defense of Armenia S. Sargsyan and the commander of the NKR S. Babayan Army. The active phase of the armed confrontation ended.
The conflict was "frozen", according to the terms of the agreements reached, the status quo was preserved on the basis of combat operations. As a result of the war, the actual independence of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic from Azerbaijan and its control over the south-western part of Azerbaijan was proclaimed up to the border with Iran. This includes the so-called "security zone": five adjacent to the NKR regions. At the same time, the five Azerbaijani enclaves are controlled by Armenia. On the other hand, Azerbaijan retained control over 15% of the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh.
According to various estimates, the losses of the Armenian side are estimated at 5-6 thousand people killed, including among civilians. Azerbaijan lost during the conflict from 4 to 7 thousand people killed, while the bulk of losses falls on military formation.
The Karabakh conflict has become one of the most bloody and large-scale in the region, yielding by the number of equipment used and human losses only by two Chechen wars. As a result of hostilities, strong damage was made by the infrastructure of the NKR and the adjacent areas of Azerbaijan, caused the outcome of refugees, both from Azerbaijan and from Armenia. As a result of the war on the relationship of Azerbaijanis and Armenians, a strong blow was inflicted, the atmosphere of hostility is preserved to this day. Diplomatic relations have not been established between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and the armed conflict was conserved. As a result, single cases of combat clashes continue on the distinction lines of the opposing parties and at the present time.
Ivanovo Sergey
Strengthening ethnic separatism Experts consider one of the main factors negatively affecting the provision of regional and international security. A bright example of the post-Soviet space has been resting around Nagorno-Karabakh for almost three decades. Initially, the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan was artificially provoked from the outside, and the levers of pressure on the situation were in different hands, which the confrontation was necessary first for the collapse of the USSR, and then to come to power the Karabakh clan. In addition, the struck conflict played on the hand of those major players who intended to strengthen their presence in the region. And finally, the confrontation made it possible to put on Baku to conclude more favorable petroleum contracts with him. According to the developed scenario, the events began in NKAO and in Yerevan - Azerbaijanis were dismissed from work, and people were forced to leave for Azerbaijan. Then the pogroms began in the Armenian quarters of Sumgait and in Baku, who, by the way, was the most international city of Transcaucasia.
Political analyst Sergei Kurginyan said that when brutally killed Armenians at first in Sumgait, mocking over them and committing some ritual actions, then it was not Azerbaijanis, but people from the outside representatives of international private structures. "We know these representatives by name, we know what structures they belonged to what structures they belong to now. These people killed Armenians, they were connected to this case of Azerbaijanis, then they killed Azerbaijanis, connected to this case Armenians. Then they were confronted by Armenians and Azerbaijanis. And this controlled tension began. We all saw it, we saw that it was worth it, "the political scientist told.
According to Kurginyan, at that time, "the demaxratoidoid and liberated myths have no relation to this have already been perceived as truths in the last instance, as something self-evident, as something absolutely correct, they have already managed consciousness. All these viruses have already bought consciousness, and crowds They fled in the right direction, towards their own end, to his own misfortune, to their own limit disturbing, in which they were later. " Later, such a tactic was used for inciting other conflicts.
Conflict settlement paths are looking for a Mamikon Babayan browser.
The Karabakh war has become one of the most bloody in the post-Soviet space. Peoples close languages \u200b\u200band culture, centuries living nearby, were divided into two warrant camps. For a long-term conflict, more than 18 thousand people died, and this figure is constantly growing.
The population on both sides lives in constant voltage due to frequent shootings, and the risk of resumption of large-scale war is still preserved. And we are talking not only about the war with the use of firearms. The conflict is manifested in the section of common historical and cultural heritage, including national music, architecture, literature, kitchens.
From the moment of imprisonment, the truce in Karabakh has passed for 25 years, and the Azerbaijani leadership is more and more difficult to explain to their society every year, for what reason the richest country in the region continues to experience difficulties in solving the restoration of territorial integrity. Today, the Region unfolds a real information war. Although full-scale hostilities are no longer conducted (with the exception of escalation in April 2016), the war has become a mental phenomenon. Armenia and Karabakh live in tension, which is supported by the forces interested in destabilizing the region. The atmosphere of militarization is noticeable on the example of educational programs of school and pre-school institutions of Armenia and unrecognized "Nagorno-Karabakh Republic". The media do not cease to declare the threat they see in the statements of Azerbaijani politicians.
In Armenia, the Karabakh question shares the society into two camps: those who insist on the adoption of the de facto situation without any concessions, and those who agree to the need to take painful compromises, due to which it will be possible to overcome crisis post-war consequences, including economic blockade Armenia. It is worth noting that veterans karabakh warwhich are now in power in Yerevan and "NKR", do not consider the condition for passing employed areas. The ruling elites of the countries understand that an attempt to transfer to the direct control of Baku at least part of the controversial territories will lead to rallies in the Armenian capital, and maybe to civil confrontation in the country. Moreover, many veterans categorically refuse to return the "trophy" territories that they managed to win in the 1990s.
Despite the obvious crisis in relations, and in Armenia, and in Azerbaijan there is a general awareness of the negative consequences of what is happening. Until 1987, peaceful coexistence was supported by interethnic marriages. There can be no speech about the "eternal war" of Armenians and Azerbaijanis, since in the whole history in the Karabakh itself did not exist, due to which the Azerbaijani population could leave the NKAO (NKAO-Karabakh Autonomous Region
Meanwhile, representatives of the Armenian diaspora who were born and grew up in Baku do not pour negative on their friends and acquaintances from Azerbaijan. "The people can not be an enemy", "you can often hear from the mouth of the older generation of Azerbaijanis when it comes to Karabakh.
Nevertheless, the Karabakh question remains lever of pressure on Armenia and Azerbaijan. The problem imposes an imprint on the mental perception of Armenians and Azerbaijanis, who live outside the Transcaucasia, which, in turn, serves as a reason for folding the negative stereotype of the relationship between two peoples. Simply put, the Karabakh problem prevents living, prevents close to the problems of the region's energy security, as well as implement the joint transport projects favorable for all of the Transcaucasus. But no power is decided to make the first step to the settlement, fearing the end of his political career in the event of concessions in the Karabakh issue.
In understanding Baku, the beginning of the peace process is concrete steps to free part of the land, which are currently rejected. These territories Azerbaijan considers occupied, referring to the UN Security Council resolutions of the UN Karabakh War of 1992-1993. In Armenia, the prospect of the return of land is an extremely painful topic. This is due to the security issue of the local civilian population. For the post-war years, the occupied territories turned into a "safety belt", because the delivery of strategic heights and territories for Armenian field commanders is unthinkable. But it was after the seizure of the territories that were not part of the NKAO, the most massive expulsion of the civilian population occurred. Almost 45% of Azerbaijani refugees occur from the Agdam and Fizulinsky districts, and the Agdam itself remains a ghost city today.
Whose territory is it? It is impossible to directly answer this question, as the archeology, architectural monuments give every reason to believe that the Armenian and Turkic presence in the region is calculated in the region. This is the total land and the common house of many nations, including those that conflict today. Karabakh for Azerbaijanis is a matter of national importance, as exile and rejection were carried out. Karabakh for Armenians - the idea of \u200b\u200bthe struggle of the people for the right to land. It is difficult to find a person in Karabakh, ready to agree to the return of the surrounding territories, because this topic is linked to the security issue. The region does not eliminate interethnic tensions, overcoming which it will be possible to say that the Karabakh question will soon be resolved.
