Karabakh Conflict: Armenia And Azerbaijan's Battle For Recognition

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is an ethnic and territorial dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the region of Nagorno-Karabakh, which is internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan but has been claimed entirely by the breakaway Republic of Artsakh, with a majority Armenian population. The region has been the site of multiple wars between Armenia and Azerbaijan, including the First Nagorno-Karabakh War from 1988 to 1994, which resulted in a ceasefire in 1994, and the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War in 2020, which ended with a tripartite ceasefire agreement that saw Azerbaijan regain control of the occupied territories surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as a third of Nagorno-Karabakh itself. Despite the ceasefires, tensions and military clashes have persisted, with Azerbaijan launching a large-scale military offensive in September 2023, resulting in the dissolution of the Republic of Artsakh in January 2024 and the exodus of almost the entire Armenian population from the region.

Nagorno-Karabakh is internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan but was governed by ethnic Armenians under the breakaway Republic of Artsakh from 1994 to 2023

Nagorno-Karabakh is a region in Azerbaijan, covering the southeastern stretch of the Lesser Caucasus mountain range. It is internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan but was governed by ethnic Armenians under the breakaway Republic of Artsakh from 1994 to 2023.

The region is usually equated with the administrative borders of the former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast, comprising 4,400 square kilometres (1,700 sq mi). However, the region's historical extent encompasses approximately 8,223 square kilometres (3,175 sq mi).

In 1923, the Soviet Union established the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast—home to a 95% ethnically Armenian population—within the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic. In 1988, ethnic Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh demanded the transfer of what was then the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast (NKAO) from Soviet Azerbaijan to Armenia. As the Soviet Union collapsed, tensions grew into an outright war. When fighting ceased in 1994, Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent districts were wholly or partially controlled by Armenian forces.

The conflict escalated into a full-scale war in the early 1990s following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The war was won by Artsakh and Armenia, and led to the occupation of regions around Soviet-era Nagorno-Karabakh. The ceasefire ending the war, signed in 1994 in Bishkek, was followed by two decades of relative stability, which significantly deteriorated in the 2010s.

In late 2020, the large-scale Second Nagorno-Karabakh War resulted in thousands of casualties and a significant Azerbaijani victory. An armistice was established by a tripartite ceasefire agreement on November 10, resulting in Azerbaijan regaining all of the occupied territories surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh as well as capturing one-third of Nagorno-Karabakh itself.

On September 19, 2023, after a blockade lasting several months, Azerbaijan launched a fresh large-scale military offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh. The Artsakh forces collapsed rapidly, resulting in an Azerbaijani victory, the dissolution of the Republic of Artsakh, and the exodus of almost the entire Armenian population from the region. On January 1, 2024, the Republic of Artsakh was formally dissolved.

The region is home to a majority ethnic Armenian population, who have faced expulsion and persecution

The region of Nagorno-Karabakh has been the subject of a long-standing ethnic and territorial conflict between Azerbaijan, in which it lies, and its ethnic Armenian majority, who have faced expulsion and persecution. Backed by neighbouring Armenia, the ethnic Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh have faced expulsion and persecution at the hands of Azerbaijani authorities.

During the Soviet period, Armenians in the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast faced heavy discrimination. The Soviet Azerbaijani authorities suppressed Armenian culture and identity in Nagorno-Karabakh, pressuring Armenians to leave the region and encouraging Azerbaijanis to settle within it. Despite these efforts, Armenians remained the majority population in the region until 2023.

In 1988, a referendum was held in Nagorno-Karabakh to transfer the region to Soviet Armenia, citing self-determination laws in the Soviet constitution. This sparked a series of pogroms against Armenians across Azerbaijan, marking the beginning of the Nagorno-Karabakh War. The conflict escalated into a full-scale war in the early 1990s following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, resulting in expulsions of ethnic Armenians from Azerbaijan and ethnic Azerbaijanis from Armenia and the Armenian-controlled areas.

The First Nagorno-Karabakh War (1988-1994) ended with a Russian-brokered ceasefire in 1994, leaving Karabakh and surrounding Azerbaijani territory in Armenian hands. This was followed by two decades of relative stability, punctuated by sporadic clashes and border tensions.

In late 2020, the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War resulted in a significant Azerbaijani victory, with Azerbaijan regaining all the occupied territories surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh and capturing one-third of Nagorno-Karabakh itself. Most ethnic Armenians fled the region, and on 1 January 2024, Nagorno-Karabakh was formally dissolved.

Throughout the conflict, the ethnic Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh has faced expulsion and persecution, with Azerbaijani authorities working to suppress their culture and identity and encourage their displacement. The conflict has resulted in thousands of casualties and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people, with both sides committing acts of violence and ethnic cleansing.

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is an ethnic and territorial dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan

The conflict escalated into a full-scale war in the early 1990s, known as the First Nagorno-Karabakh War, resulting in thousands of casualties and the displacement of over a million people. A ceasefire was signed in 1994, leaving Nagorno-Karabakh de facto independent with a self-proclaimed government in Stepanakert, but still heavily reliant on Armenia.

Despite the ceasefire, tensions remained high and both sides continued to accuse each other of ceasefire violations. In April 2016, intense fighting broke out along the line of separation, resulting in hundreds of casualties.

In September 2020, heavy fighting resumed along the Azerbaijan-Nagorno-Karabakh border, leading to thousands of deaths and a significant Azerbaijani victory. A ceasefire agreement was signed in November 2020, with Azerbaijan regaining control of the seven districts surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh and a significant portion of the region itself.

In December 2022, Azerbaijan began blockading the Lachin corridor, the only road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia, leading to severe shortages and a humanitarian crisis. In September 2023, Azerbaijan launched a military offensive and regained full control of the region, resulting in the official dissolution of the ethnic Armenian enclave in January 2024.

The conflict has resulted in deep-seated animosity between Armenia and Azerbaijan, with ongoing border tensions and clashes continuing to occur.

The conflict escalated into a full-scale war in the early 1990s, resulting in a ceasefire in 1994

The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the region of Nagorno-Karabakh escalated into a full-scale war in the early 1990s, resulting in a ceasefire in 1994. This conflict, known as the First Nagorno-Karabakh War, was an ethnic and territorial dispute that began in the late 1980s and lasted until May 1994. The war was fought between the majority ethnic Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh, backed by the Republic of Armenia, and the Republic of Azerbaijan.

The roots of the conflict can be traced back to the Soviet period, when Armenians in the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast faced heavy discrimination from Soviet Azerbaijani authorities. In 1988, as the Soviet Union began to collapse, the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh demanded to separate from Azerbaijan and unify with Armenia. This led to a referendum being held in 1988, which resulted in a decision to transfer the region to Soviet Armenia. However, this act was met with a series of pogroms against Armenians across Azerbaijan, and violence was committed against both Armenians and Azerbaijanis.

Amid the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Nagorno-Karabakh officially declared independence, and full-scale war erupted. The war resulted in approximately 30,000 casualties and created hundreds of thousands of refugees. By 1993, Armenia had gained control of Nagorno-Karabakh and occupied 20% of Azerbaijan's geographic area. The war was won by Armenia, and it led to the occupation of regions around Soviet-era Nagorno-Karabakh. There were expulsions of ethnic Armenians from Azerbaijan and ethnic Azerbaijanis from Armenia and the Armenian-controlled areas.

The ceasefire ending the war, known as the Bishkek Protocol, was signed in May 1994 in Bishkek. The ceasefire was brokered by Russia and resulted in a relative stability that lasted for two decades. However, the conflict remained unresolved, and the Nagorno-Karabakh region remained internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan, despite being controlled by the breakaway Republic of Artsakh. The ceasefire agreement established a de facto independent Nagorno-Karabakh, with a self-proclaimed government in Stepanakert, but still heavily reliant on economic, political, and military ties with Armenia.

The First Nagorno-Karabakh War had far-reaching consequences and set the stage for continued tensions and conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. It resulted in mass displacement, with over a million people forcibly removed from their homes, and left a lasting impact on the region.

Despite the ceasefire, tensions and violent clashes have persisted, with a second war breaking out in 2020

The ceasefire that ended the First Nagorno-Karabakh War in 1994 brought about two decades of relative stability, though tensions remained. In April 2016, a four-day escalation resulted in hundreds of casualties, and in 2018, there were further clashes. However, the most significant violation of the 1994 ceasefire occurred in 2020, when a large-scale Second Nagorno-Karabakh War broke out, resulting in thousands of casualties and a significant Azerbaijani victory.

The Second Nagorno-Karabakh War began on 27 September 2020, with an Azerbaijani offensive along the line of contact. The war was marked by the deployment of drones, sensors, long-range heavy artillery, missile strikes, state propaganda, and the use of social media in online information warfare. Despite calls for de-escalation from the international community, three ceasefires brokered by Russia, France, and the United States failed to stop the conflict.

The Second Nagorno-Karabakh War ended on 10 November 2020, with a ceasefire agreement that was mediated by Russia. This agreement resulted in Azerbaijan regaining control of the territories surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as one-third of Nagorno-Karabakh itself. While the ceasefire ended the large-scale fighting, it did not bring lasting peace. Ceasefire violations continued, and in December 2022, Azerbaijan began blockading Nagorno-Karabakh, leading to a severe humanitarian crisis.

In September 2023, Azerbaijan launched a military offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh, resulting in another ceasefire agreement and the official dissolution of the Republic of Artsakh on 1 January 2024. Most ethnic Armenians fled the region, and those who remained were faced with the prospect of "reintegration" into Azerbaijan, despite a history of human rights abuses and a lack of rights for ethnic minorities. The conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh has persisted, with ongoing border tensions and violations, and no permanent solution in sight.

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