A-PDFAlways Split DEMO topical : Purchase from www.A-PDF.com to remove the watermark

Rahman Mustafayev Doctor of History From Imperial Province to Parliamentary Republic (February 1917-May 1918)

During the last years the history of our independent First Republic – the Democratic Republic of (DRA) became a subject of attention of historians and political scientists, not only from our country but also beyond its borders.

ith regards to this, it should ideological bias, to research into the and succession, is considered as dif- be noted that the con- history of our country in general and ferent stages of a complicated and Wtribution to the work of of the DRA in particular. The signifi- contradictory, but at the same time comprehensive study of the DRA cance of this order is not limited only unified, evolution of the Azerbaijani heritage of the President of the Re- to providing access for scientists to statehood which appeared in the 9th public of Azerbaijan and national unpublished material and allowing century BC. The next display of inter- leader Heydar Aliyev is important the classification of already known est in and respectful treatment of from a scientific and political point archive documents. This order also the history of the DRA is the law On of view. The order on the Celebration has important political significance. the 90th Anniversary of the Democratic of 80 Years of the Democratic Republic For the first time the history of the Republic of Azerbaijan by the current of Azerbaijan, signed by him on 30 First (1918-1920), Second (1920- President of the Democratic Repub- January 1998, became an important 1991) and current, Third (from 1991) lic of Azerbaijan, , from step on the road to a truly scientific Republics of Azerbaijan, with their 15 February 2008. approach, free from political and continuous historical connection The victory of the February Bour-

4 www.irs-az.com Session of the Council of Ministers of the DRA geois Democratic Revolution of The founding congress of the vat Party, which took place in 1917 in the signifi- Turkic Party of Federalists, which November 1917, confirmed the cantly hastened the process of de- later, on 3 July, joined with the orientation of the Azerbaijani velopment of national movements Party, took place on 15 political leaders for the creation and political construction in the April 1917 in Ganja. The goal of the of national territorial autonomy South . The Special Trans- federalists was the attainment of a within the Federative Russian caucasian Committee (Ozakom) was territorially autonomous Azerbaijan Republic and their support for established in on 22 March within the frame of a democratic the idea of calling for an All-Rus- 1917. The Baku Provisional Executive and federal Russian republic. This sian Founding Congress, during Committee, which included repre- principle was upheld by the lead- which the main issues of the po- sentatives of city self-government, ers of the Azerbaijani movement – litical system were supposed to the Council of Workers’ Deputies Mammed Amin Rasulzade, Alimar- be resolved. and trade unions, was established dan-bey Topchubashev and Fatali After the Bolshevik October Mili- at the same time in Baku. A National Khan Khoyski – not only on a re- tary Revolution in 1917 in Petrograd, Bureau of Provisional Committee of gional but also an All-Russian level. the leading national powers of the the Board of the Baku Muslim Public On the whole, during the sum- South Caucasus (the Mensheviks, Organisations was elected on 9 April mer and autumn of 1917 the pro- Musavatists and the Dashnakt- 1917 in a meeting of the Baku Mus- cess of consolidation of the All-na- sakans) felt the treat to their princi- lim intelligentsia, chaired by Fatali tional political powers of the Azer- pal desires and their representatives Khan Khoyski. In the beginning of baijanis of the South Caucasus was came together on 24 November of September of the same year it was completed under the leadership the same year in Tbilisi and declared transformed into the Central Trans- of the . This party won re- their refusal to recognise the gov- cucasian National Board of Muslims, election to the Baku Soviet of Work- ernment of the Petrograd Soviet which brought together the leading ers’ and Soldiers’ Deputies in the au- of People’s Commissar, headed by political powers of the Muslims of tumn. V. I. Lenin, and they decided to es- the South Caucasus. The first congress of the Musa- tablish an independent territorial www.irs-az.com 5 Always topical

character of sharp political ri- valry between representatives of the three main ethnic groups of the region – Azerbaijanis, Arme- nians and Georgians. Despite the different programmes and political platforms, the Azerbaijani political groups stood up together in the majority issues for the interest of the people they represented. The diverging political interests of the leading factions resulted in insurmountable difficulties for the activities of the Seim and led to the South Caucasian Government, formed in March and April, becom- ing unable to function. Nonethe- less, the Seim managed to provide a smooth and relatively bloodless government. Following this, on 28 deputies from South Caucasus were transition from post-imperial chaos, November, Ozakom failed to mani- elected to the congress, including anarchy and civil war to a two-year fest and was transformed into the 12 Muslims. However, the Found- period of independent existence Transcaucasian Commissariat, ing Congress was dispersed on the of the South Caucasian Republics. which became the supreme organ day of its opening. Following it, the The main factor which stimulated of territorial power. Four Azerbaijani deputies elected from the South the growth of conflict between the commissars, F. Khoyski, M. Jafarov, K. Caucasus came to the decision to leading national political powers of Khasmammadov and K. Malik-Asla- establish a local government – the the South Caucasus was the peace nov formed part of the Trancauca- Transcaucasian Seim, before calling agreement between Soviet Rus- sian Commissariat, which was head- for a new Founding Congress. It was sia and Germany, Austro-Hungary, ed by the Georgian Social Democrat formed on 14 February 1918, from Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire E. Gegechkori. This commissariat, deputies elected to the Founding signed in Brest-Litovsk on 3 March like previous territorial structures, Congress and representatives of 1918. Its fourth article had direct was considered by its members as other parties of the south Cauca- relation to the South Caucasus – in a temporary organ in place until an sus (the Bolsheviks refused to par- accordance with which the Russian- All-Russian Founding Congress was ticipate in the Seim). 125 persons, Ottoman border in the sub-region, called. The elections to the Found- including 32 Georgian Mensheviks, which had existed until the Russian- ing Congress took place on 26-28 30 Musavats and unaffiliated demo- Ottoman war of 1877-1878, was re- November 1917 and 15 Transcau- crats from the attached block, 27 established. Together with it, in the casian parties participated in them. Dashnaks, 7 representatives from beginning of February 1918, the The elections secured the positions the Muslim Socialist block, 3 from Third Ottoman Army commanded of the three leading national par- Ittikhad and 4 from the Gummet So- by Wehib Pasha begun offensives in ties, stating the populations’ rejec- cial Democratic Party were elected a few directions simultaneously, the tion of Bolshevism. The exception to the Seim, which replaced the main aim of which was the rescue of was Baku, where the Bolsheviks led Transcaucasian Commissariat. 44 thousands of Muslims from destruc- by the Baku Soviet and with S. Shay- deputies formed the Muslim faction tion on the territory occupied by myan as head, received 20% of the of the Transcaucasian Seim. Armenians. The frontline in Erzinjan- votes of the population and more Despite the Seim being Van was held by an Armenian corps than 70% of the votes of the soldiers formed on party principles, its formed in December 1917 – Janu- of the Baku garrison. As a result, 34 activity immediately had the ary 1918. The Armenian historian

6 www.irs-az.com A. O. Arutonian gives information in his monograph The Caucasian Front. 1914-1917 ‘that by October 1915 6 brigades with 5,000 members in total was formed’. In this regard it should be remembered that item 5 of the first article of the Soviet-Otto- man Supplementary Agreement to the Brest-Litovsk Peace Agreement foresaw that Soviet Russia ‘is obliged to demobilise and disband Arme- nian forces which consisted of Turk- ish and Russian subjects who were both in Russia and occupied Turkish Provinces and once and for all to dismiss the aforementioned forces’. Opening of the Azerbaijani Parliament on 7 December 1918 But the Bolshevik authorities did not hurry to disband the Armenian people, Georgians – 121,113, Rus- only Turks who entered the territory brigades. A decree by I. Stalin of the sian – 42,712, Tatars – 1,314, Jews of Azerbaijan rendered assistance to People’s Commissariat for Nationali- – 3,221, Germans – 2,413 and other local authorities in forming military ties, from 16 March 1918 to all revo- nationalities – 11,470 people.’ As forces.’ lutionary committees, headquarters we see, most of those drafted and The most important factor of and Soviet organisations informed fighting on the Caucasus front were regional instability and as a conse- that ‘the Armenian revolutionary or- Armenians and Georgians – the ra- quence, the crisis in the activity of ganisations have a right to free for- tio of those drafted was almost 100 the Seim was Armenian-Azerbaijani mation of Armenian voluntary bri- Armenians and Georgians per Azer- confrontation growing with every gades and taxation of the Armenian baijani. passing month. Oppression of Mus- bourgeoisie for their financing.’ In this situation, under pressure lims by Armenian military groups Tsarist and Soviet relations to the from Transcaucasian Muslim lead- and armed gangs (so called Khum- idea of arming Muslims was diamet- ers, who understood the dangerous bas), took place during this period in rically opposite to this – they did not consequences of this military imbal- different regions – the Karssk oblast, want to see them as private soldiers ance, a decision was taken to form Iravan Province and Baku and Yel- and not in commanding positions a Muslim Corps, commanded by izavetpol Provinces, which in some (with the exception of an insignifi- the famous artilleryman of the Rus- places was characterised by mass- cant number of senior Azerbaijani sian Army Lieutenant General Ali- slaughter of Azerbaijanis and was, officers). As noted by A. O. Ortunian, Agha Shikhlinski. However, unlike in fact, genocide. The outrage which about 300,000 Armenians fought in the Armenian and Georgian ones, broke out in February in Iravan Prov- the Russian Army against Germany, the Muslim Corps did not really ex- ince, in which 200 Azerbaijani vil- Austro-Hungary and Turkey during ist. As the Russian military historian lages, with a population of about the years of the First World War. At A. I. Deryabin admits, ‘in the begin- 135,000 inhabitants in four uyezds the Caucasus front the relative num- ning of 1918 the corps existed only were ruined, was especially acute. bers of Armenian conscripts were on paper – it had only a small staff As a result of the pogroms, about even higher. ‘By 1 January 1917, as of units and unions, mainly officers, 80,000 Azerbaijanis became refu- a result of mobilisation of local bri- the rank and file was almost absent gees. During the conference which gades through Tbilisi, 304,164 peo- and there was a lack of arms, am- took place on 10 April, the Seim ple were passed as fit for military ser- munition and equipment. This situ- Member M. Seyidov came to the vice’. The Armenian historian admits ation remained until the declaration fair conclusion that the slaughter of that ‘among them the Armenian of independence of Azerbaijan and Muslims by Armenians and Arme- component consisted of 121,921 the establishment of the DRA, and nian military groups ‘is a defined task www.irs-az.com 7 Always topical

M. Razsul-zade A. Topchubashev F. Khoyski N. Usubbekov

Leading Politicians of the DRA

– to clear the territory for Armenian pendence of Eastern Caucasus’. This Member K. Khasmammadov urged refugees and to create a compact was the first mention by Azerbaijani the deputies ‘to prepare all formal unit for an autonomous Armenia’. politicians of a possible declaration terms in order to have the ability at An even stronger blow to the of independence of Azerbaijan. the necessary moment to speak in unity of the Seim was caused by the Azerbaijani Seim Deputies were the name of sovereign independent bloody ethnic cleansing in Baku and worried, not only by the politics of Azerbaijan’. the villages of the Baku uyezd which the deportations and ethnic cleans- As a result, the declaration of the took place at the end of March-be- ing of the civilian Muslim popula- independence of the Caucasian re- ginning of April 1918, in which Ar- tion of this region but also by the publics became a matter of time. menian Khumbas killed tens of thou- strengthening, following the bloody The landing of a 3,000 strong Ger- sands of civilians. It was the March revolution in Baku, of Dashnak man military contingent in Poti on slaughter of the Azerbaijani civilian claims on this key city of the south- 25 May was a factor which hastened population in Baku by Armenians ern Caucasus, which Azerbaijani pol- this process. It was one of the results fighters, an actual genocide of Azer- iticians saw as their national centre. of the Brest-Litovsk Peace and cre- baijanis, which became the most Seim Member K. Khasmammadov ated a springboard for the move- important impulse leading Azerbai- declared, in relation to this, that ‘all ment of Germans deep into Georgia jani deputies to raise the issue of the the power in Baku and in the whole and for support of its anti-Russian independence of South Caucasus eastern Transcaucasia, must belong Menshevik Government. As a result, and its eastern part, which was de- to Muslims and if we have lost this the Georgian deputies of the Seim, clared on 28 May 1918 as the Demo- power temporarily this is in order encouraged by German military cratic Republic of Azerbaijan. During to reclaim it entirely and finally’. He support, could not be maintained the joint meeting of all Muslim fac- underlined that ‘the terms offered within the independent ‘Caucasian tions, which took place on 7 April, by Dashnaktsakan are not accept- Republic’. Moreover, the German Seim Member Fatali Khan Khoyski able for us because it is a shameful Military persuaded the Georgian offered ‘to bring to the notice of all capitulation in front of them. The Government that in case of Georgia responsible parties the steady desire Baku issue, from the earliest days of leaving the Caucasian Federal Re- of all Muslim factions of the same to its origin, was put point-blankly: all public it would receive guarantees declare the independence of Trans- or nothing’. of security of its borders from Berlin caucasia’, he even said that ‘in case During the session of the Central within the frames defined by the of non-sympathy on this issue from Muslim Council, which took place Brest-Litovsk agreement. other parties we will have to enter on 16 May, the issue of the indepen- In relation to this, on 25 May, into discussions about the issue of dence of Azerbaijan was specifically during the morning meeting of the a possible declaration of the inde- considered for the first time. Seim Muslim factions of the Seim, the

8 www.irs-az.com M. Seyidov K. Khasmammadov Z. Zeynalov M. Shakhtankhtinski decision was made that in case of Azerbaijani Turks but to make the first republic in the Muslim East, a declaration of independence of appropriate decision in accordance was the outstanding event in the Georgia Azerbaijan would do the with this new event’. During the 3000 year history of Azerbaijani same. This decision was confirmed meeting it was decided: ‘If Georgia statehood. Due to it the Azerbaijani in the evening meeting, during will declare its independence then populations of Baku and Yelizavet- which K. Khasmammadov acknowl- from our part must follow the dec- pol Provinces received a chance of edged that ‘close and friendly unity laration of independence of Azer- peaceful, safe and comprehensive among elements composing the baijan’. As a result, the Seim ceased development within the frames of Transcaucasian Republic never ex- to function. During its last confer- their own nation-state which was isted’ and that ‘the absence of unity ence, which took place on 26 May due to travel on a 23 month journey is especially clearly visible during 1918, the resolution was adopted: full of bright victories and achieve- meetings of Government, which ‘Because of radical disagreements ments. look more like conferences of rep- on issues about war and peace were resentatives of separate states who detected between the peoples who Literature additionally do not trust each other, established the Transcaucasian Re- than a single unified state’. Tcheidze public and because it became im- Arutunian A.O. Кавказ- (Chairman of the Seim), Tsereteli possible for a single autonomous ский фронт в 1914-1917 гг. (The and Gegechkori (leaders of the So- government to speak in the name Caucasian Front in 1914-1917) cial Democratic faction) invited from of Transcaucasia the Seim states the Yerevan, 1971 the Georgian faction of the Seim, fact of the disintegration of Trans- Протоколы заседаний му- spoke during the same meeting of caucasia and resigns.’ сульманских фракций Закавказ- the Muslim factions. Tsereteli specifi- The day before 28 May, during its ского Сейма и Азербайджанско- cally said that ‘the Social Democratic extraordinary meeting the Muslim го национального совета 1918 faction and in general the Georgian deputies – Members of the Seim, г. (Protocols of the Meetings of the section of the Seim came to the con- declared themselves a temporary Muslim Faction of the Caucasian clusion that the unification of the national council of the Muslims of Seim and Azerbaijani National Transcaucasian peoples around the Transcaucasia and they took on the Council 1918) independence slogan failed and the governance of Eastern Transcaucasia Fatali Khan Khoyski, Жизнь и fact of the disintegration of Trans- themselves. The next day, on 28 May деятельность (документы и caucasia is already obvious’. Fatali 1918, the Muslim National Council, материалы) (Life and Activities (Doc- Khan Khoyski, who spoke after the with 24 voices voting ‘for’ and two uments and Materials)) Baku, 1998 Georgian deputies, noted that ‘if the voices abstaining, took the historic Andrew Mango, Ataturk, Lon- will of the Georgian people is such decision to declare the independent don, 2004 then we have no right to prevent it Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan. and of course nothing remains for The declaration of the DRA – the www.irs-az.com 9