that a terrible civil war began at Baku. It lasted four days (March 18-22); during that
time the Mussulman population was bombarded, shot down and burnt alive.
The Armenians and Bolsheviks
In that blood-thirsty episode, which had such fatal consequences for the
Moslems, the principal part was played by the Armenians, who were then at Baku,
clustering as elsewhere round their nationalist party (Dashnaksoutioun).
The representatives of this and other Armenian parties composing the
Armenian National Council, shortly before the events of 18-21 March had begun
discussions with the representatives of the Moslem Central Committee of
Transcaucasia in order to settle the political and national relations of the two
neighboring nations. In spite of all that, the Dashnaksoutioun and even the
conservative National Democratic Party were incorporated into the bolshevik ranks,
having among them and possibly guiding them, about 7000 Armenians soldiers, who,
returning from the western front, had remained in the country because of the
suppression of Transcaucasian railway trains.
As it was proved later, those same soldiers took part in the civil war, stirred
up by the bolsheviks in order to seize the power, which was transformed by the
Armenian population of Baku into a national war between the Armenians and
Moslems.
Was it through a desire of sharing the power of the bolsheviks, a national
vengeance, or a consequence of the ill feeling caused by the stoppage of circulation
and absence of food products. The truth is that the Armenians, under the cover of
bolshevism, rushed on the Moslems and massacred during some frightful days more
than 12.000 people, many of whom were old men, women and children. Future
historians will certainly not pass this over, but even now we may affirm that the
Armenians of other regions would not approve of the conduct of their fellow country-
men in Baku.
Aggressive action o f the Armenians
The Armenians behaved more than aggressively in the district of Shemakha
towards the Mohammedan population. The massacre of Moslems, the murders of
entire families, the shooting down of victims, the burning of hundreds of villages and
of the old Azerbaijanian city of Shemakha show indeed that all this was the work of
Armenians alone in which the bolsheviks had no hand.
Indeed the true bolsheviks have not even hidden themselves behind the
Armenians, but have protested against the brutality of the Armenian bolsheviks “who
gave free rein to their race hatred against the Moslems.
Led by Armenian Shaumyan, chief of the Soviet of Baku the
commissionaries, the bolshevist organisations had been increased by jingo
“Dashnaks“ who were settling their own national accounts with the Azerbaijanians,
under the pretence of bolshevism.
The hatred and cruelty exercised exclusively against the Moslems have
brought about just reproaches and violent protests from bolsheviks themselves, and
from the non-Mahometan elements of the population. Also the staff of the flying-
school at Baku, consisting exclusively of Russians, did not conceal their horror at the
conduct of those bolsheviks.
The Turkestan Infantry Regiment, which formerly was a part of the Russian
army was still more disgusted. Being by chance at Baku at the time of the events of
March, the officers and soldiers of that regiment, headed by the colonel, drew up an
order of the day, ordering all aggressions bearing a nationalist character, against the
Moslems of Baku, to cease at once. They declared that, in case of refusal, they would
take up arms against the culprits. The “ bolchevist “ Armenian organisation made
haste to get rid of the said regiment, by facilitating its departure by boat and sending it
back to its native country.
Like all the other organisations, the entire bolchevist press was in the hands
of the Armenians : i. e. The Baku Workman, The News of the Soviet o f the
Workingmen, Soldiers and Sailors of Baku. Thanks to this fact, not only the local
middle class, but also the intellectual Moslem class was exposed every day to
persecutions and accused of belonging to the counter-revolutionary party. Properties
were confiscated, and the people were slandered in every possible way. The result
was that most Azerbaijanians left Baku and the petroleum fields. There being no other
way to escape from the cruelties and savage deeds of the Armenian nationalists
(bolsheviks).
It is quite possible that this was a part of the nationalist plan of the latter - to
rid the town of its rightful owners, the Azerbaijanians, thereby coming into possession
of its natural wealth with the idea of reigning there as master!
Indeed, this plan existed in spite of its folly, it was carried into effect. The
following is a proof of it:
In their violence against the Mohammedans, the Baku Armenians were
helped by the Armenian troops, directed by the Armenian National Council (Baku
section).
These troops were commanded by people of ill fame such as Amazasp,
Stefan Lalayan, and others who passed themselves as bolsheviks of the Red Guard, as
the circumstances then required. However, when the order came to incorporate into
the Red Guard all the national troops, and among these the Armenian regiments; to
evacuate Baku and the surrounding country, the Armenian soldiers began to be
excited, feeling the ground unsteady under their feet. From that time we notice among
the Armenians, a wild hatred the true bolsheviks of against Baku. Moreover there
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