Baku, the evening of 27 April 1920. Parliament is in emergency session. From the north the armoured trains of the 11th Red Army are nearing the city, while the main forces of the army are far away in Karabakh. Before the deputies lies the Bolsheviks’ ultimatum: hand over power within twelve hours. How did a Republic only 23 months old come to this?
The international situation in early 1920
In early 1920 the Red Army defeated Denikin and reached the North Caucasus; at the end of March the 11th Red Army arrived in Dagestan, on Azerbaijan’s northern border. The Entente had recognised the ADR de facto on 11 January 1920 but promised no military help; the British troops had left back in August 1919. Turkey was itself at war and could not help. Soviet Russia had avoided the question of the ADR’s independence in Chicherin’s notes (see «Foreign policy of the ADR and the Paris Peace Conference»): above all it needed Baku oil.
Taking Baku is extremely, extremely necessary for us.
The new Dashnak–Bolshevik alliance and weakening from within
As in March 1918 (see «The Baku Soviet’s genocide policy: the March 1918 genocide»), the interests of the Dashnaks and the Bolsheviks coincided again: Dashnak Armenia wanted to seize Karabakh, Zangezur and Nakhchivan, the Bolsheviks wanted Baku. In March 1920, during Novruz, Armenian armed bands rose in Karabakh. The revolt was crushed in the fighting near Askeran, but the army’s main forces were sent to Karabakh and Zangezur; only small units guarded the northern border (see «For territorial integrity: the liberation of Baku and the Karabakh and Nakhchivan governor-generalships»).
Inside the country the Bolsheviks became active too. In February 1920 the Azerbaijani Communist Party (Bolsheviks) — AKP(b) — was formed out of Hummat, Adalat and the Baku Bolshevik organisation. Using the democratic freedoms, the party campaigned among workers and soldiers and prepared an armed rising. The unsolved land question, the difficulties of oil exports and unemployment also bred discontent among part of the population.
The government crisis
At the most dangerous moment power itself grew weak. In parliament the struggle between Musavat on one side and Ittihad and the socialists on the other sharpened; the latter demanded rapprochement with Soviet Russia. On 1 April 1920 Nasib bey Yusifbeyli’s government resigned. Mammad Hasan Hajinski was asked to form a new one, but he failed. So on the eve of the invasion the country was left without a government for about a month.
27–28 April 1920: the April invasion
On 27 April 1920 the 11th Red Army crossed Azerbaijan’s border on the Samur river; armoured trains raced along the railway towards Baku. The same day the AKP(b) handed parliament an ultimatum: power must be handed to the communists within twelve hours.
In the evening parliament’s last sitting opened. M. A. Rasulzade and Shafi bey Rustambeyov protested against handing over power under an ultimatum. But the majority, to avoid bloodshed, voted to hand over power on conditions; the first condition was that Azerbaijan’s independence be preserved. On 28 April 1920 the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic was proclaimed, and power passed to the Azerbaijani Revolutionary Committee headed by N. Narimanov. The Democratic Republic had fallen.
The conditions were not kept: many of the Republic’s leaders and officers were arrested or shot; Fatali Khan Khoyski was murdered in Tiflis in 1920, Rasulzade went into exile and carried on the struggle abroad, Topchubashov stayed in Paris. You will read about resistance to the occupation in «The formation of the Azerbaijan SSR and resistance to Soviet rule». Yet the Republic’s legacy lived on: the Constitutional Act of 18 October 1991 declared the Republic of Azerbaijan the successor of the Democratic Republic.
| Internal causes | External causes |
|---|---|
| Government crisis: resignation on 1 April 1920, no new cabinet | Soviet Russia’s interest in Baku oil |
| Sharp struggle between parties | Denikin’s defeat; the 11th Red Army at the border |
| The AKP(b)’s propaganda and preparations for a rising | The Dashnak–Bolshevik alliance; the Karabakh revolt (March 1920) |
| Unsolved land question, economic hardship | No military help from the Entente |
| Person | Role |
|---|---|
| Nasib bey Yusifbeyli | Head of government; resigned on 1 April 1920 |
| Mammad Hasan Hajinski | Failed to form a new government (April 1920) |
| M. A. Rasulzade, Shafi bey Rustambeyov | Protested against the handover of power on 27 April 1920 |
| Nariman Narimanov | Chairman of the Azerbaijani Revolutionary Committee (April 1920) |
| V. I. Lenin | Leader of Soviet Russia; telegram of 17 March 1920 |
| Feature | March 1918 | The April 1920 invasion |
|---|---|---|
| Main force | The Baku Soviet (S. Shaumyan), Dashnak bands | Soviet Russia’s 11th Red Army, the AKP(b) |
| The Dashnaks’ role | Massacres in Baku and the districts | Revolt in Karabakh, drawing the army away from the north |
| Result | National power could not be set up in Baku | The ADR fell; the Azerbaijan SSR was created |
| Similarity | Joint action against Azerbaijani national statehood | Joint action against Azerbaijani national statehood |
Interactive
- 28 May 1918
Declaration of Independence
The start of the 23-month Republic.
- 11 January 1920
De facto recognition
Recognition brought no military help.
- February 1920
The AKP(b) is formed
- 17 March 1920
Lenin’s telegram about Baku
- March 1920
Armenian revolt in Karabakh
The army’s main forces are drawn west.
- 1 April 1920
Yusifbeyli’s government resigns
Hajinski fails to form a new one.
- 27 April 1920
The 11th Red Army crosses the border; the ultimatum
- 27 April 1920
The last sitting of parliament
Power is handed over on conditions.
- 28 April 1920
Fall of the Republic
The Azerbaijan SSR is proclaimed.
- 19 June 1920
F. Kh. Khoyski murdered in Tiflis
- 18 October 1991
Constitutional Act: heir of the ADR
At the emergency sitting that opened in the evening the communists’ ultimatum was read out: power must be handed to them within twelve hours. From the north Red Army units had crossed the border and were nearing the capital, while the army’s main forces were in Karabakh; for several weeks the country had had no government.
The leader of Musavat protested sharply: to give up power under an ultimatum meant renouncing independence. One more deputy backed him. But the majority, to prevent bloodshed, voted to hand over power on conditions. The first condition was that Azerbaijan’s full independence would be preserved under Soviet power as well. Besides, the form of government would be decided by Azerbaijan’s own legislature without outside pressure, civil servants would keep their posts, and the lives and property of deputies and ministers would be inviolable.
Source tasks
Problem
1) Which event is described? Give its date and name the Musavat leader who protested.
2) Explain one military and one political reason why the majority agreed to hand over power.
3) Give two consequences of this decision that are NOT stated in the text.
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Solution
2) Military: the 11th Red Army had crossed the border, while the army’s main forces were in Karabakh because of the Armenian revolt of March 1920 — there was nothing to defend the capital with. Political: there had been no government since 1 April (Yusifbeyli had resigned and Hajinski had failed to form a new one), and the Entente gave no help. Marks: two reasons explained — 1; one — ½.
3) On 28 April 1920 the Azerbaijan SSR was proclaimed and power passed to the Revolutionary Committee under Narimanov; the conditions were not kept — arrests and executions began, Khoyski was murdered in Tiflis in 1920; independence was lost and Rasulzade went into exile. Marks: two consequences — 1; one — ½; repeating the conditions in the text earns nothing.
Exam task: chronology
Problem
Put the events in chronological order:
1. Yusifbeyli’s government resigns
2. The AKP(b) is formed
3. The Armenian revolt in Karabakh
4. The 11th Red Army crosses the border
5. The Azerbaijan SSR is proclaimed
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Solution
Step 2: Order the three April events by day: 1 → 27 → 28.
Step 3: Check that the revolt (March) came before the resignation (April).
Answer: 2, 3, 1, 4, 5.
Exam task: internal and external causes
Problem
Group the causes of the ADR’s fall: a) internal; b) external.
1. the government crisis
2. Soviet Russia’s interest in Baku oil
3. the unsolved land question
4. no military help from the Entente
5. sharp struggle between parties
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Solution
Step 2: The policy of other states — Soviet Russia and the Entente: b.
Answer: a — 1, 3, 5; b — 2, 4.
Remember
- In early 1920 Denikin was defeated and the 11th Red Army reached the border; the Entente recognised the ADR de facto but gave no help; Soviet Russia needed Baku oil.
- The new Dashnak–Bolshevik alliance: the Armenian revolt in Karabakh in March drew the army’s main forces away from the northern border; the AKP(b) was formed in February.
- On 1 April 1920 Yusifbeyli’s government resigned and Hajinski failed to form a new one — the country was left without a government.
- 27 April 1920: the 11th Red Army crossed the border and the AKP(b) issued its ultimatum; at the last sitting Rasulzade and Rustambeyov protested, and the majority handed over power on conditions (above all keeping independence).
- 28 April 1920 — the Azerbaijan SSR was proclaimed; the conditions were not kept. The 1991 Constitutional Act declared the Republic of Azerbaijan the ADR’s successor.