History of Azerbaïdjan

The Empire Tsarist

In 1804, the Tsar Alexandre conquers Gandja with the Perse, which becomes Elizavetpol. The Treaty of Gulistan in 1813 gives to the Russia the provinces of Persia located at the north of Araxe. The town of Bakou is annexed and becomes the capital of a governorship under the terms of the treaty of Tourkmantchaï of 1828 and of the peace treaty concluded in Edirne.

During the war 1877 - 1878, Russia seizes the area of Kars-Ardagan. At the end of the XIXe century, Russia discovers its wealths of " However Noir" and Bakou becomes the first world Naphtha producer. A relatively structured Azeri movement emerges at the same time.

In 1918, Azerbaïdjan proclaims independent republic and form with its frontier countries the federative Republic transcaucasienne. The Democratic republic of Azerbaïdjan which existed up to 1920, being the first Moslem democratic country in Asia, granted for the first time between the Moslem countries the right to vote with the women.

Soviet domination

In 1920, the country is occupied by the Red Army and attached to the Soviet Union before being integrated in 1922 into the transcaucasienne Federation and the Soviet Union in the form of the Soviet socialist République of Azerbaïdjan.

Independence

NB: the conflict of Haut-Karabakh, of which the events of Soumgaït which push thousands of Armenians to the exile in 1988, occupies an important place in the process of the indépendaces before the total collapse of the USSR.

August 30th 1991: Azerbaïdjan proclaims its independence after the collapse of the communist bloc. The country adheres to the United Nations (UNO) in 1992. The first years of independence are characterized by a great political distress.

June 1992: Aboulfazl Eltchibey, the chief of the Azeri Popular front (FPA), is elected president by the vote for all with 55% of the voices. Following a short civil war, it is relieved in June 1993 and is temporarily replaced by the former Soviet leader Gueïdar Aliev, chief of the Communist party. The dismissal of Eltchibey “is accepted” by referendum in October 1993 and Aliev is elected president with 98,8% of the votes at the time of an uncontested poll.

1993: The War of Karabagh with Arménie ends in the occupation by the Armenian troops of the Western part of Azerbaïdjan separating Arménie from Haut-Karabagh. This defeat generates political big problems. For its part, the Safety advice of the United Nations condemns the occupation of the territory of the Azerbaijani Republic in his resolutions Nos 822 (April 30th 1993), 853 (July 29th 1993) 874 (October 14th 1994) and 884 (November 11th, 1993). A cease-fire between into force in spring 1994, while president Aliev appears decided to conclude their the negociations entered into with the Armenian government.

November 1995: The new Constitution of the Azerbaijani Republic is adopted by referendum. Legislative elections are organized. Return to the capacity of the NAP (New Party of Azerbaïdjan) to the detriment of the Communists.

November 1997: Azerbaïdjan returns on the worldwide market of oil.

September 1998: The Summit of the Silk route is held for the first time in Bakou and joins together more than 32 countries. In October of the same year, Heydar Aliev is re-elected president. Azerbaïdjan, the Georgia, the Kazakhstan, Turkey, the Ouzbékistan and the the United States sign a draft agreement entitled " the Declaration of Ankara" relating to the construction of a pipeline which will connect Bakou to Ceyhan (in Turkey) and which will forward the oil of Caspian to the Western countries.

December 12th 1999: First municipal elections.

February 2000: President Aliev, in business trip to Washington, meets the president Bill Clinton.

April 5th 2000: two ex-ministers Commercial, shown flight of oil products for an amount of 30 million dollars, are stopped close to Bakou.

November 6th 2000: After the legislative elections, the opposition to president Aliev denounces massive frauds, confirmed by the international observers and threatens not to recognize the results.

January 2001: Azerbaïdjan becomes member of the the Council of Europe.

April 2001: On invitation of the American Secretary of State, president Aliev takes part, in Florida at Key West, with the peace negotiations between the Arménie and Azerbaïdjan. He meets president Bush.

November 2001: First world forum in Bakou which brings together all the Azerbaijanis of the world.

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