Notes on the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic

  • Creation of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (ADR):

    • May 26, 1918: The Transcaucasian Seym, a political body, was dissolved, and Georgia decided to leave.

    • May 27, 1918: The Azerbaijani group in the Seym created a temporary National Council, led by M.A. Rasulzade.

    • May 28, 1918: The ADR announced it was independent and adopted a "Declaration of Independence."

    • Key points: It was now an independent country called the Democratic Republic. It wanted to have relationships with other countries, promised full rights to everyone living there, aimed to help all people develop, and had a National Council and Provisional Government to govern until an Assembly could be formed.

    • The Provisional Government, led by Xoyski, was confirmed.

    • May 30, 1918: The ADR told foreign countries about its creation.

    • It was the first democratic parliamentary republic in the East.

  • Early Foreign Policy and Military Events:

    • Signed a "Peace and Friendship" agreement with Osmanli (Ottoman Empire) in Batumi on June 4. Osmanli was the first to recognize the ADR.

    • Clause 4: Osmanli would provide military help.

    • Early June: The “Qafqaz Muslim Army,” led by Nuru Pasha, arrived in Ganja.

    • June 16: The National Council and government moved to Ganja.

    • June 17: The National Council made a plan for a Constituent Assembly to be formed within six months and gave authority to F. Xoyski's government.

    • June 19: Martial law (military rule) was declared.

    • The Baku Khalg Komissarlari Soveti (SPC), a political group in Baku, refused to recognize the ADR and declared war.

    • June 6: The Baku SPC ordered an attack on Ganja.

    • June 27: Baku Soviet troops were defeated at the battle of Goychay.

    • June 20: Azerbaijani and Osmanli forces attacked Baku.

    • By July 1918: The situation for the Baku SPC was getting worse.

  • Fall of Baku Soviet and What Followed:

    • July 31: The Baku SPC surrendered to the Azerbaijani and Osmanli armies.

    • August 1: The “Sentrokaspi Dictatura” was established in Baku with British support.

    • 1000 English soldiers moved to Baku.

    • August 17: Armenians welcomed English General Denstervil.

    • August 27, 1918: Soviet Russia and Germany made an agreement about Baku's oil.

    • Germany would prevent Osmanli from entering, and Russia would give 1/4 of Baku's oil to Germany.

    • September: Germany cancelled the agreement because of international issues.

    • September 15: The Caucasus Islam Army attacked Baku, and English forces left.

    • Armenian forces ran away to Anzali.

    • September 15: Azerbaijani forces, led by Nuru Pasha, entered Baku.

    • The Osmanli army helped protect Azerbaijan and lost soldiers in the process.

    • September 17: The capital city was moved from Ganja to Baku.

  • Protecting Land and How the Country Was Run:

    • Efforts were made to take back ancestral lands like Nakchivan, Zangazur, Karabakh, and Lankaran.

    • January 1919: The Karabakh Governorate-General was created.

    • Xosrov Pasha bey was appointed as the governor-general.

    • August 1919: Armenians recognized Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan.

    • February 1919: The Nakchivan Governorate-General was created.

    • Bahram khan Nakhcivanski was appointed as governor-general.

    • August 1919: The “Mugan Soviet Republic” was removed.

    • The ADR gained control over its entire territory.

    • It was a democratic parliamentary republic, the first in the East and the Turkish Islamic world.

  • Language, Flag, and Military Growth:

    • June 27, 1918: Azerbaijani (Turkish) was declared the main language.

    • June 24, 1918: A white crescent and an eight-pointed star on a red background were chosen as the national flag.

    • November 9, 1918: The flag was changed to a blue, red, and green tricolor.

    • M.A. Rasulzadeh said the flag represented Turkish culture, Islamic civilization, and European democracy.

    • June 26, 1918: The creation of a new army was ordered.

    • November 1: The Ministry of Defense was established, with F. Xoyski as the military minister.

    • General S. Mehmandarov was appointed as his deputy.

    • A military school opened in Ganja and later moved to Baku.

    • December 25, 1918: General S. Mehmandarov became the military minister, and General Aliaga Sixlinski became his deputy.

    • General Suleymanbey Sulkevich was appointed as the chief of headquarters.

    • A marine military force was considered necessary, and the Caspian fleet was established in 1919.

    • By 1920: The National Army and Marine military were fully developed, with 40,000 soldiers.

  • Political and Economic Actions:

    • August 23: A decree (official order) was signed regarding Azerbaijani nationality.

    • November 16: The National Council started working again.

    • November 20: A decision was made to create an Azerbaijani Parliament.

    • The Parliament would have 120 members, and everyone, including women, would have equal voting rights.

    • December 7, 1918: The Parliament began its work, and A. Topchubashov was elected as the speaker.

    • The Parliament accepted the provisional government’s resignation, and F. Xoyski was asked to form a new government.

    • December 26: The third cabinet was announced, with F. Xoyski as the Chairman and Foreign Minister.

    • Early actions: They stopped the export of food products (June 22, 1918).

    • A government decree allowed free trade within the republic.

    • October 5, 1918: The Azerbaijani government stopped the commercial fleet operations that were under the Baku SPC.

    • December 10, 1918: An office for selling oil and oil products was established.

    • Early 1919: Measures were taken to support the food supply in Baku.

    • Summer 1919: Trade agreements were signed to export Baku oil to Europe.

    • Agrarian projects (related to agriculture) were discussed in March 1920.

    • September 1918: The Baki bonu, a monetary unit, was introduced.

    • A state bank opened in September 1919.

    • A customs service was organized, and the Ministry of Labour started in January 1919.

  • Cultural and Educational Steps:

    • The ADR made education a priority, and the Ministry of National Education was created.

    • August 28, 1918: The government took control of schools, and primary schools taught in Turkish (Azerbaijani).

    • Special teaching courses were organized, and the Azerbaijani branch of the South Caucasus seminary moved to Kazakh.

    • Gymnasiums (schools) for girls opened in Baku, Ganja, and Shaki, and seven gymnasiums for men opened.

    • Educational courses were extended, and 50 teachers were invited from Osmanli.

    • Autumn 1919: Night courses in the Azerbaijani language were organized.

    • September 1, 1919: The decision to open a university in Baku was made, with history, philology, and medical faculties.

    • September 1919: 100 Azerbaijani young people were sent to universities abroad.

    • National societies were founded, including “Learning the Muslim East” in December 1919.

    • A department of archeology was founded in early 1920.

    • The first large library in the Azerbaijani language opened in Baku in March 1919.

    • The “Istiqlal” museum opened in Baku on December 7, 1919.

    • The “Azerbaijan” newspaper was published from 1918 to 1920