Miatsum
Encyclopedia
Miatsum refers to the movement for the unification of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast
of Soviet Azerbaijan to the Soviet Armenia during the late 1980s and early 1990s, which led to the Nagorno-Karabakh War
in 1992-1994.
The idea originated in an era of realignment among the Armenians who were unhappy that the area, inhabited predominantly by an Armenian population remains under the jurisdiction of Azerbaijan
. From the 1970s, with the support of the first secretary of the Central Committee of Communist Party of Azerbaijan SSR
, Heydar Aliyev
, a policy of settling NKAO
by Azeris was being implemented. The Armenian pogroms in Sumgait
and Baku
only exacerbated these trends, which led to military clashes between troops of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the forces of the Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army
(Artsakh).
The Azerbaijani side has compared the idea Miatsum with that of Anschluss
undertaken of Austria
by Nazi Germany
in 1938. From the perspective of supporters of the idea of Miatsum, this comparison does not apply, as the initiator of the last policy was the Nazi party in Germany, is not considered to be the opinion of the Austrian authorities and the people. While miatsum was the desire of vast majority of the Armenian society in Nagorno-Karabakh and in many ways conceived as generally inevitable ideology.
Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast
The Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast was an autonomous oblast within the borders of the Azerbaijan SSR, mostly inhabited by ethnic Armenians and created on July 7, 1923. According to Karl R. DeRouen it was created as an enclave so that a narrow strip of land would separate it from Armenia proper....
of Soviet Azerbaijan to the Soviet Armenia during the late 1980s and early 1990s, which led to the Nagorno-Karabakh War
Nagorno-Karabakh War
The Nagorno-Karabakh War was an armed conflict that took place from February 1988 to May 1994, in the small enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh in southwestern Azerbaijan, between the majority ethnic Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh backed by the Republic of Armenia, and the Republic of Azerbaijan...
in 1992-1994.
The idea originated in an era of realignment among the Armenians who were unhappy that the area, inhabited predominantly by an Armenian population remains under the jurisdiction of 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 the 1970s, with the support of the first secretary of the Central Committee of Communist Party of Azerbaijan SSR
Azerbaijan SSR
The Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic , also known as the Azerbaijan SSR for short, was one of the republics that made up the former Soviet Union....
, Heydar Aliyev
Heydar Aliyev
Heydar Alirza oglu Aliyev , also spelled as Heidar Aliev, Geidar Aliev, Haydar Aliyev, Geydar Aliyev was the third President of Azerbaijan for the New Azerbaijan Party from June 1993 to October 2003, when his son Ilham Aliyev succeeded him.From 1969 till 1982, Aliyev was also the leader of Soviet...
, a policy of settling NKAO
Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast
The Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast was an autonomous oblast within the borders of the Azerbaijan SSR, mostly inhabited by ethnic Armenians and created on July 7, 1923. According to Karl R. DeRouen it was created as an enclave so that a narrow strip of land would separate it from Armenia proper....
by Azeris was being implemented. The Armenian pogroms in Sumgait
Sumgait Pogrom
The Sumgait pogrom was a pogrom that targeted the Armenian population of the seaside town of Sumgait in Soviet Azerbaijan during February 1988...
and Baku
Pogrom of Armenians in Baku
The Pogrom of Armenians in Baku was an anti-Armenian pogrom directed against the Armenian inhabitants of Baku, Azerbaijani SSR.From January 13, 1990, a seven-day pogrom broke out against Armenians in Baku. Most of the deaths were caused by beatings and knife wounds; there were no gunshot wounds....
only exacerbated these trends, which led to military clashes between troops of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the forces of the Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army
Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army
The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Defense Army is the formal defense force of the unrecognized but de-facto independent Nagorno-Karabakh Republic...
(Artsakh).
The Azerbaijani side has compared the idea Miatsum with that of Anschluss
Anschluss
The Anschluss , also known as the ', was the occupation and annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in 1938....
undertaken of Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
by Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
in 1938. From the perspective of supporters of the idea of Miatsum, this comparison does not apply, as the initiator of the last policy was the Nazi party in Germany, is not considered to be the opinion of the Austrian authorities and the people. While miatsum was the desire of vast majority of the Armenian society in Nagorno-Karabakh and in many ways conceived as generally inevitable ideology.
See also
- ArmeniaArmeniaArmenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
- Nagorno-Karabakh RepublicNagorno-Karabakh RepublicThe Nagorno-Karabakh Republic , or Artsakh Republic is a de facto independent republic located in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia...
- Nagorno-Karabakh WarNagorno-Karabakh WarThe Nagorno-Karabakh War was an armed conflict that took place from February 1988 to May 1994, in the small enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh in southwestern Azerbaijan, between the majority ethnic Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh backed by the Republic of Armenia, and the Republic of Azerbaijan...
- Lachin corridorLachin corridorThe Lachin corridor is a mountain pass within de-jure borders of Azerbaijan, it is the shortest route which connects Armenia with Nagorno-Karabakh Republic...
- History of Nagorno-KarabakhHistory of Nagorno-KarabakhNagorno-Karabakh is the modern designation for a southern part of the Lesser Caucasus range, encompassing the highland part of the wider geographical region Karabakh...