🇬🇧 The Karabakh Council declared independence. The First Republic of Armenia.
The First Republic of Armenia
The first half of 1918 was a period of relative peace for Nagorno-Karabakh, despite the fact that interethnic war had already begun in many other regions of the South Caucasus. During this time, Armenians and Azerbaijanis in Karabakh lived under a sort of truce, maintaining stability in the region despite significant political and social upheavals occurring elsewhere in the Caucasus.
Karabakh, although formally under the control of the Transcaucasian Commissariat and the Transcaucasian Sejm, was in fact independent and governed by a binational, multiparty council. Against this background, Karabakh stood apart from other territories where Armenian-Azerbaijani tensions had already led to mass clashes. The local leadership sought to maintain balance and ensure peaceful coexistence between the two ethnic groups, which allowed Karabakh to avoid major armed conflicts in the early months of 1918.
Intervention of External Forces: Turks and Azerbaijanis
However, the fragile balance in the region was disrupted with the arrival of Turkish forces, who aimed to support Azerbaijan in establishing control over Karabakh and Zangezur. In early August 1918, Armenians of Karabakh, gathered at the First Congress, elected the People's Government of Karabakh. This government rejected the demands of Nuri Pasha, the commander of the Turkish troops, to recognize Azerbaijani authority and to allow Turkish soldiers into Shushi. Moreover, at the Second Congress of Karabakh Armenians, held from September 20 to 24, it was once again declared that they were ready to preserve the status quo in the region until a conference involving the Transcaucasian republics and the Central Powers could be held in Constantinople.
Meanwhile, after the capture of Baku, Nuri Pasha was able to focus on taking Shushi. To this end, Turkish-Azerbaijani forces under the command of Javid Bey were dispatched to Karabakh. After two weeks of fighting, the Azerbaijani army and Muslim militia captured the village of Karakyshlag, severing the connection between the Armenians of Karabakh and Zangezur. Given the situation of the Armenians in Baku and the threat of 5,000 soldiers from the Army of Islam crossing through the Askeran Pass, the Third Congress of Karabakh Armenians, held from October 1 to 5, 1918, was forced to submit to Nuri Pasha’s demands.
On October 8, 1918, Turkish-Azerbaijani forces under the command of Javid Bey and Ismail Khan Ziyatkhanov entered Shushi. However, in the rural parts of Karabakh, where Armenians continued to resist, Azerbaijani and Turkish control was never fully established. In these areas, where the Armenian community was more organized, partisan units operated under the leadership of prominent figures such as Andranik.
At the end of October, after failed attempts to negotiate with the Azerbaijanis, Andranik decided to intervene in support of Karabakh. His troops engaged the Muslim militia of Sultan Bek Sultanov, but despite some successes, they were halted by the order of General Thomson, which was part of a broader standoff in Zangezur.
A New Stage: Armenian Administration in Karabakh
After the withdrawal of Turkish forces in November 1918, a temporary Armenian administration was established in Karabakh. It consisted of a council that included the mayor of Shushi and one representative from each of the Karabakh districts: Khachen, Varanda, Jraberd, and Dizak. This move marked an important step in strengthening Armenian authority in the region, although the complex political situation and constant pressure from external forces continued to shape the future of Karabakh.