Russia And Azerbaijan: Who Owns The Land?

Azerbaijan is a transcontinental country in Eastern Europe and Western Asia, with Russia's republic of Dagestan to the north. While Azerbaijan is currently an independent country, it has been fought over by Russian, Persian, and Ottoman forces for centuries. In the 19th century, the territory of what is now Azerbaijan was ceded to the Russian Empire following the Russo-Persian Wars, and it became part of the Soviet Union in 1920. After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Azerbaijan became an independent country once again.

Azerbaijan's independence from Russia

After the collapse of the Russian Empire during World War I, the short-lived Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic was established, comprising the present-day republics of Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Armenia. However, this federation lasted only six weeks before Georgia declared its independence, followed by Armenia and Azerbaijan on May 28, 1918. The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, which was the first secular democratic Muslim-majority state, lasted only 23 months and collapsed in April 1920 after the Soviet invasion. The Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic was then formed as part of the Soviet Union.

After the collapse of the USSR in 1991, the Parliament of Azerbaijan, relying on the 1918 Declaration of Independence, adopted the Constitutional Act "On the State Independence of the Republic of Azerbaijan". This marked the restoration of Azerbaijan's independence and the foundation of the modern Republic of Azerbaijan.

In recent years, the relationship between Russia and Azerbaijan has been influenced by oil and gas resources, with Russia seeking to maintain its influence in the region. Despite some complexities, Azerbaijan has managed to maintain a degree of political independence from Russia, and the two countries continue to have bilateral relations and diplomatic ties.

Azerbaijan's relationship with Russia post-independence

Azerbaijan was part of the Russian Empire from the early 19th century until it gained independence in 1918. However, this independence was short-lived, as the country was invaded by Soviet forces in 1920 and became a Soviet Socialist Republic.

After the collapse of the USSR in 1991, Azerbaijan once again became independent, and relations with Russia initially grew closer. However, relations between the two countries have been complex and have experienced several breakdowns throughout the 2000s. While Russia and Azerbaijan are de facto and de jure allies in many aspects, including the military, and their governments maintain friendly relations, there are several points of disagreement.

One major source of tension has been the conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, which is internationally recognised as Azerbaijani territory but has been the focus of intense conflict with Armenia. Russia expressed reluctance to intervene against Azerbaijan during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, despite its formal alliance with Armenia, due to growing Russian ties with Azerbaijan and deteriorating relations with Armenia. Russia has also supported the Azerbaijani Zangezur corridor plan, despite opposition from Armenia and Iran.

Another issue has been weapons transfers to Armenia. In 2009, Azerbaijani media published allegations that Russia had supplied Armenia with extensive weapons transfers worth about $800 million in 2008. While Russia officially denied these transfers, Wikileaks materials published in 2010 indicated that the Azerbaijani defence minister claimed his Russian counterpart had unofficially admitted to them.

Despite these tensions, Russia and Azerbaijan continue to cooperate in various areas. Russia is one of Azerbaijan's main suppliers of arms, and trade and economic cooperation between the two countries is on the rise. Additionally, cultural and educational relations between Russia and Azerbaijan are steadily developing.

The Russo-Persian Wars

Azerbaijan does not belong to Russia. However, the two countries are allies in many aspects, including the military.

Historically, the territory of present-day Azerbaijan became part of the Russian Empire after Qajar Iran was forced to cede it following the Russo-Persian Wars in the 19th century. The area north of the Aras River, including modern-day Azerbaijan, was Iranian territory until it was occupied by Russia.

First Russo-Persian War (1651-1653):

The first conflict arose from tensions between Russian Cossacks and the Lezgins, who were Persian subjects, along the Georgian-Dagestani border. Russia supported a leadership candidate for Dagestan, angering Persia. Robberies and killings committed by Cossacks escalated tensions, leading to military confrontations.

Second Russo-Persian War (1722-1723):

This war was precipitated by the Pashtun Afghans' campaign against Persia over the rule of Qandahar. The Afghans invaded Persia but were unsuccessful in capturing key cities. After the Afghan victory at the Battle of Gulnabad, they besieged Isfahan, the Persian capital, leading to the surrender of Shah Husayn. Tsar Peter I of Russia offered aid to the Persians against the rebels and the Ottomans, in exchange for territorial concessions.

The Treaty of St Petersburg (1723) concluded this war, with Persia ceding Derbent, Baku, and several provinces to Russia. However, the Shah refused to ratify the treaty.

Third Russo-Persian War (1796):

In 1783, Erekle II of Khartli-Kakheti, a Georgian region, agreed to become a vassal state of Russia, which Persia contested. Agha Mohammed Khan, the Persian ruler, sought to restore Persian dominion over Khartli-Kakheti and raised an army to retake various fortresses and cities. Thousands of Georgians were massacred, and citizens were taken into captivity. Tsarina Catherine II of Russia launched a campaign in 1796 to overthrow Agha Mohammed Khan, occupying several cities in the Caucasus before her death.

Fourth Russo-Persian War (1804-1813):

In 1801, Khartli-Kakheti became a protectorate of Russia, and Tsar Alexander formally announced the decision to annex it in 1804. Persia attempted to reassert suzerainty, minting new coins in Erivan, Ganja, and Nukha. Russia captured and subdued the Georgian kingdom of Imereti and its surrounding khanates, leading to a Persian declaration of war.

The Persians suffered defeats at Leninakan and Erivan, and Russian forces attacked and captured several cities, including Baku, Resht, and Quba. In 1812, Persian forces captured the fortress of Lankaran but were subsequently defeated at Aslanduz and forced to retreat.

The Treaty of Gulistan (1813) concluded this war, with Persia ceding all territories north of the Aras River, including modern-day Azerbaijan, to Russia. Russia also gained exclusive military rights on the Caspian Sea and trade privileges in Persia.

Fifth Russo-Persian War (1826-1828):

The death of Tsar Alexander in 1825 led to false beliefs in Persia of civil war in Russia and rebellion in the Caucasus. Persia invaded the Karabakh and Talesh provinces, ceded to Russia in the previous treaty, and citizens surrendered several cities to Persian forces. Russia retaliated, besieging Erivan and successively capturing Nakhichevan, Urmiya, and Ardabil.

The Treaty of Turkmenchay (1828) ended the conflict, with Persia ceding additional territories, including the Erivan, Talesh, and Nakhichevan khanates. The Aras River was established as the new border, and Persia paid a substantial indemnity. This treaty further solidified Russia's dominance in the region.

The Treaty of Gulistan and the Treaty of Turkmenchay

Azerbaijan was once part of the Russian Empire, following the Treaty of Gulistan in 1813 and the Treaty of Turkmenchay in 1828. These treaties were signed between the Russian Empire and Qajar Iran, concluding the first and second Russo-Persian Wars, respectively.

The Treaty of Gulistan

The Treaty of Gulistan was signed on 24 October 1813 in the village of Gulistan, located in present-day Azerbaijan. This treaty was a result of the first full-scale Russo-Persian War (1804-1813), which ended with the successful storming of Lankaran by General Pyotr Kotlyarevsky on 1 January 1813. The treaty was mediated by British diplomat Sir Gore Ouseley and resulted in Qajar Iran ceding a significant portion of its Caucasian territories to the Russian Empire, including what is now Dagestan, eastern Georgia, most of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and parts of northern Armenia. The treaty also granted Russia exclusive rights to station its military fleet in the Caspian Sea and established free trade between the two countries.

The Treaty of Turkmenchay

The Treaty of Turkmenchay was signed on 21 February 1828 in the village of Torkamanchay, located between Tabriz and Tehran. This treaty concluded the second Russo-Persian War (1826-1828) and resulted in further territorial losses for Qajar Iran. Persia ceded control of several areas in the South Caucasus to Russia, including the Erivan Khanate, the Nakhchivan Khanate, and the remainder of the Talysh Khanate. The boundary between Russia and Persia was set at the Aras River, and these territories now form parts of modern-day Armenia, the southern Republic of Azerbaijan, Nakhchivan, and Iğdır Province in Turkey. The treaty also included financial reparations, with Persia promising to pay Russia 10 korur in gold or 20 million silver rubles.

Impact of the Treaties

Azerbaijan's relationship with Armenia

Azerbaijan and Armenia have a long history of conflict, with five wars waged between the two countries in the last century. Currently, there are no diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The conflict between the two nations can be traced back to the Armenian-Tatar massacres of 1905-1907, when Armenians and Caucasian Tatars (later known as Azerbaijanis) killed each other and destroyed homes, resulting in up to 10,000 deaths and 286 villages destroyed throughout the Russian Caucasus.

In 1918, both Azerbaijan and Armenia proclaimed their independence from the collapsed Russian Empire and laid claim to territory they considered historically and ethnically theirs. This led to the Armenian-Azerbaijani War between 1918 and 1920, which ended when both countries were annexed by the Soviet Union and became constituent republics.

During the Soviet era, relations between the two nations were generally peaceful, with the communist leaders of both countries agreeing to relocate Azerbaijanis from Armenia to Azerbaijan and creating vacancies for Armenians coming from abroad. However, occasional confrontations did occur, particularly in 1948 and 1964, when public protests in Armenia resulted in the exodus of a large number of Azeris.

In 1988, the Armenians of Karabakh voted to secede from Azerbaijan and join Armenia, leading to pogroms (attacks) of Armenians in several Azerbaijani cities. This marked the beginning of the First Nagorno-Karabakh War, which lasted until 1994 and resulted in a de facto Armenian occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding Azerbaijani territories. A ceasefire agreement was reached in 1994, mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group, but tensions remained high, with intermittent clashes occurring over the years.

In 2020, heavy fighting broke out again along the line of contact between Armenian and Azerbaijani troops, leading to the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War. The conflict resulted in thousands of casualties on both sides and ended with a Russian-brokered ceasefire agreement, which granted Azerbaijan control over a significant portion of the disputed territory.

Despite the bloody history and repeated setbacks, there is still hope for a long-term accommodation between Armenia and Azerbaijan. In 2023, the two countries made a joint statement for the first time since the collapse of the Soviet Union, agreeing to exchange prisoners. Additionally, Armenia supported Azerbaijan's bid to host the UN Climate Change Conference (COP29), and Azerbaijan supported Armenia's inclusion in COP's Eastern European States grouping. While there are still significant challenges to overcome, these gestures of goodwill indicate a potential path towards peace.

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