Nagorno-Karabakh

Nagorno-Karabakh is a region in Azerbaijan with a 75% Armenian majority in 1990. Following the Nagorno-Karabakh War, Nagorno-Karabakh is under the control of the winner, Armenia, and all members of the Azeri minority have fled, leaving a population of 140,000 Armenians.

The most serious problem between the short-lived Transcaucasian republics of Armenia and Azerbaijan was over the republics' claims to a mountainous region called Karabagh (and after 1920 the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast of the USSR). Britain, which occupied Transcaucasia after World War I, decided in favor of Azerbaijan in the summer of 1919. The settlement remained in force after the Red army took over both republics in 1920, but the Soviets were never able to resolve the dispute, which exploded into war as soon as both nations became independent.^[1]

Twitter War[edit]

Throughout July and August 2014, clashes resulting in deaths on both sides occurred around disputed border areas.

During the clashes, Azerbaijan's president Ilham Aliyev often tweeted various insults directed to Armenia including;

"Armenia is not even a colony, it is not even worthy of being a servant." ^[2]

On August 7, 2014, Aliyev tweeted what some Armenians perceived to be threatening, or even official declaration of war:^[3]

"The war is not over. Only the first stage of it is. But the second stage may start too."^[4]

"May Allah rest their souls in peace! However, their blood has been avenged. The Azerbaijani army has dealt a very severe blow to the enemy."^[5]

If the Azerbaijani army starts an offensive, the enemy will find itself in a very difficult situation.^[6]

Further reading[edit]

• Chorbajian, Levon, et al. The Caucasian Knot: The History and Geopolitics of Nagorno-Karabagh. (1994). 198 pp.

References[edit]

1. ↑ Artin H. Arslanian, "Britain and the Question of Mountainous Karabagh," Middle Eastern Studies 1980 16(1): 92-104.
2. ↑ Aliyev, Ilham (2015-01-29). Armenia is not even a colony, it is not even worthy of being a servant..
3. ↑ Aliyev threatens war with Armenia via Twitter (en).
4. ↑ Aliyev, Ilham (2014-08-07). The war is not over. Only the first stage of it is. But the second stage may start too..
5. ↑ Aliyev, Ilham (2014-08-07). May Allah rest their souls in peace! However, their blood has been avenged. The Azerbaijani army has dealt a very severe blow to the enemy..
6. ↑ Aliyev, Ilham (2014-08-07). If the Azerbaijani army starts an offensive, the enemy will find itself in a very difficult situation..