🇬🇧 The Defense of Zangezur Against Turkish Forces. First Republic of Armenia.
The First Republic of Armenia
By the summer of 1918, the conflicts had escalated into armed clashes. In July, General Andranik arrived in the region with a detachment of Armenian volunteers and thousands of refugees expelled from the Ottoman Empire. His arrival was accompanied by military operations against Muslim villages, which provoked protests from the Turkish General Halil Pasha and subsequently drew international attention.
Intervention of the Entente Powers
In the autumn of 1918, after the end of World War I, British and French officers demanded that Andranik halt his offensive. With the beginning of the British occupation of the South Caucasus, the Allied command sought to maintain a fragile balance in the region. However, the appointment of Khosrov bey Sultanov as governor-general of Karabakh and Zangezur, supported by the British, caused discontent among the Armenians and further escalated tensions.
Military-Political Confrontation
Armenian forces continued to control most of Zangezur, while the Azerbaijani government sought to assert its authority. British attempts to persuade the Armenians to recognize Baku's rule failed. In the spring of 1919, British General Cory effectively established the status quo: Karabakh was recognized as under Azerbaijani administration, while Zangezur remained under the control of the local Armenian council.
Ethnic Cleansing and Escalation of Violence
From April 1919, large-scale clashes between Armenians and Muslims began. Armenian forces expelled Muslim populations from the central areas to Iran and the plains. Azerbaijan accused the Armenians of ethnic cleansing, claiming that traditional grazing routes for Muslim nomads were being blocked. In response to Armenian aggression, the Azerbaijani army launched the Zangezur Expedition in October, which, despite the mobilization of regular and tribal troops, ended in failure.
Attempts at Resolution and Renewed Clashes
On November 23, 1919, a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan was signed in Tiflis with the mediation of British and American representatives. However, peace was short-lived. In December, Armenian forces led by Garegin Nzhdeh launched an operation to "cleanse" the region of the remaining Muslim population. According to Turkish sources, in several villages nearly all residents were either killed or expelled.
Reaction of the International Community
Allied representatives expressed concern and demanded that Yerevan cease military actions. The Armenian government denied the involvement of regular units, but in fact, it sent military formations to the region under the command of General Dro. This signaled Armenia's preparations to expand its control over the entire Zangezur and Nagorno-Karabakh regions.