1920 Ganja revolt
Encyclopedia
The 1920 Ganja revolt also referred to as the Ganja Uprising, was an anti-Bolshevik
rebellion that took place in Ganja, Azerbaijan
from 26 to 31 May 1920 as a reaction to Azerbaijan's Sovietisation
.
resulted in the formation of a number of independent states on its territory. On 28 May 1918, the Azerbaijani National Council
declared the independence of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic
. Twenty-three months later the political power in Azerbaijan was ceded by the ruling Musavat Party to the Bolsheviks to avoid bloodshed that the advancing 11th Red Army might have brought upon the country. On 28 April 1920, Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic was proclaimed.
Azerbaijan's Sovietisation significantly reduced the Bolshevik pressure on the neighbouring states, which caused much resentment and unrest among demoralised Azerbaijanis shocked by such rapid political change. Civil masses were angered by Bolsheviks' requisition
s of provision supplies and their strong and explicit antireligious sentiment
. The unrest was also triggered by various political organisations founded by Musavat members who fled to Georgia
or went undercover. The anti-Bolshevik attitude went on to spread onto the Azerbaijani army dissatisfied with the Soviets' plan to reorganise it according to the Red Army
model by discharging the officers and dividing the units.
who was dispatched to Ganja carried out mass repressions against those suspected of being linked to the uprising. Hundreds of people were publicly executed. Twenty-two officers (among them six generals) were immediately exiled on the island of Nargin and shot by firing squad the next day, together with fifty-seven other exilees. The 11th Red Army issued a special decree by which detachments were to strengthen control of Azerbaijani locales with potential civil unrest. They were ordered to seize guns from the population. Those unwilling to turn in their guns were to be shot immediately, and those who turned in their guns and ammunition voluntarily were financially rewarded.
The 1920 Ganja revolt initiated a chain reaction of regional rebellions in June 1920 such as one in Shusha
led by Nuri Pasha and one in Zagatala led by Molla Hafiz Afandiyev, however neither was as large scale as the Ganja Revolt. Starting in September 1920, a new series of rebellions of various scale took place in Dagestan and Quba
, in Garabulag, in Shamkhor, and in Lankaran
, overall lasting until 1924.
Bolshevik
The Bolsheviks, originally also Bolshevists , derived from bol'shinstvo, "majority") were a faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party which split apart from the Menshevik faction at the Second Party Congress in 1903....
rebellion that took place in Ganja, Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
from 26 to 31 May 1920 as a reaction to Azerbaijan's Sovietisation
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
.
Prelude
The disintegration of the Russian EmpireRussian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
resulted in the formation of a number of independent states on its territory. On 28 May 1918, the Azerbaijani National Council
Azerbaijani National Council
Azerbaijani National Council was the first delegated legislative body of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic from 27 May 1918 to 17 June 1918 and again from 16 November 1918 to 3 December 1918...
declared the independence of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic
Azerbaijan Democratic Republic
The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic was the first successful attempt to establish a democratic and secular republic in the Muslim world . The ADR was founded on May 28, 1918 after the collapse of the Russian Empire that began with the Russian Revolution of 1917 by Azerbaijani National Council in...
. Twenty-three months later the political power in Azerbaijan was ceded by the ruling Musavat Party to the Bolsheviks to avoid bloodshed that the advancing 11th Red Army might have brought upon the country. On 28 April 1920, Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic was proclaimed.
Azerbaijan's Sovietisation significantly reduced the Bolshevik pressure on the neighbouring states, which caused much resentment and unrest among demoralised Azerbaijanis shocked by such rapid political change. Civil masses were angered by Bolsheviks' requisition
Requisition
A requisition is a request for something, especially a formal written request on a pre-printed form.An online requisition is an electronic document, which can be originated by the requester and then using the company workflow or hierarchy rules, can be submitted to the subsequent levels, until it...
s of provision supplies and their strong and explicit antireligious sentiment
State atheism
State atheism is the official "promotion of atheism" by a government, sometimes combined with active suppression of religious freedom and practice...
. The unrest was also triggered by various political organisations founded by Musavat members who fled to Georgia
Democratic Republic of Georgia
The Democratic Republic of Georgia , 1918–1921, was the first modern establishment of a Republic of Georgia.The DRG was created after the collapse of the Russian Empire that began with the Russian Revolution of 1917...
or went undercover. The anti-Bolshevik attitude went on to spread onto the Azerbaijani army dissatisfied with the Soviets' plan to reorganise it according to the Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
model by discharging the officers and dividing the units.
The revolt
The discharge of the Commander of the Ganja garrison Mahammad Mirza Qajar and his officers led to the strongest civil unrest among Azerbaijanis. On the night of May 25 to 26 1920 the garrison consisting of 1,800 servicemen revolted and seized control over the Muslim quarter of Ganja. They were led by General Qajar, General Javad bey Shikhlinski, General Teymur Novruzov, and Colonel Jahangir Kazimbeyov. The Soviet units which arrived by railway ringed the city. On 29 May, they attempted numerous times to launch an attack but each time were hurled back with heavy casualties. They only became successful upon deploying heavy artillery. Around 1,000 rebels were killed; the rest fled into the mountains to join the units that had been formed there. The battle lasted until 31 May and ended in the Bolshevik victory. Afterwards the city was looted and pillaged for an entire week.Aftermath
Azerbaijan People's Commissar for Internal Affairs Habib Bey SalimovHabib Bey Salimov
Habib bey Haji Yusif oglu Salimov was the first Chief of General Staff of Azerbaijani Armed Forces of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic.-Early life:...
who was dispatched to Ganja carried out mass repressions against those suspected of being linked to the uprising. Hundreds of people were publicly executed. Twenty-two officers (among them six generals) were immediately exiled on the island of Nargin and shot by firing squad the next day, together with fifty-seven other exilees. The 11th Red Army issued a special decree by which detachments were to strengthen control of Azerbaijani locales with potential civil unrest. They were ordered to seize guns from the population. Those unwilling to turn in their guns were to be shot immediately, and those who turned in their guns and ammunition voluntarily were financially rewarded.
The 1920 Ganja revolt initiated a chain reaction of regional rebellions in June 1920 such as one in Shusha
Shusha
Shusha , also known as Shushi is a town in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh in the South Caucasus. It has been under the control of the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh Republic since its capture in 1992 during the Nagorno-Karabakh War...
led by Nuri Pasha and one in Zagatala led by Molla Hafiz Afandiyev, however neither was as large scale as the Ganja Revolt. Starting in September 1920, a new series of rebellions of various scale took place in Dagestan and Quba
Quba
Quba is a rayon in northeastern Azerbaijan. The capital is located on the Kudyal River at 41.37°N, 48.50°E....
, in Garabulag, in Shamkhor, and in Lankaran
Lankaran
-History:The city was built on a swamp along the northern bank of the river bearing the city's name. There are remains of human settlements in the area dating back to the Neolithic period as well as ruins of fortified villages from the Bronze and Iron Ages. Lankaran's history is rather recent,...
, overall lasting until 1924.