were soon overturned by Armenians, who usurped all the power till Baku was taken
by the Azerbaijanian army.
THE AZERBAIJANIAN VICTIMS OF THE BOLSHEVIKS.
THESE USURP THE POWER
Continuation o f bloodthirsty deeds
More than 12.000 Mohammedan were victims of the bloodthirsty deeds of
March 18-21. Armenian had destroyed intellectual and political centers of great
importance from a moral point of view, such as: The People's House, the House of the
Moslem Benevolent Society, the seat of all political parties, and the offices of the
Moslem newspapers: Kaspy, published in Russian, and Achiksoz, in Azerbaijanian.
The most eminent Moslem political men were arrested and imprisoned.
But the most fatal result was the rise of the bolshevist power in Baku and in
the country round.
Under the dominion o f the Bolsheviks
It began to destroy all the work of civilization. All sorts of were announced
one after the other: socializations of underground wealth, real estate, country seats,
gardens, orchards, etc.
All the money and all current accounts in the banks of Baku were declared
property of the Sovietist Republic.
Not satisfied with the confiscation of estates, dwelling places, horses, cattle
and motorcars, the bolsheviks went so far as to confiscate men - some were obliged to
enlist in the army, others to carry out certain work in favour of the sovietist Republic.
In short, the communistic principles were imposed upon the people by the crudest and
most destructive measures. The adaptation of these principles was especially painful
to the Mohammedans, who had been brought up according to the “ Sharriat” which
recommends the respect of the rights and goods of others. They were obliged to put
up with the crudeness of the bolshevist principles, submit to cruel sufferings and dire
privations.
The middle and intellectual classes were not the only ones to suffer these
misfortunes. The working classes, whose interests the bolsheviks pretended to defend,
suffered likewise. When the distribution of victuals was in question, they made a
difference between “ours” and the Azerbaijanians, who were considered as partisans
of the “bourgeoisie “ and of the counter-revolution.
MEASURES TAKEN TO FREE BAKU FROM THE BOLSHEVIKS
Baku delivered
The Azerbaijanian Government residing at Gandja (Elizabethpol) was not
ignorant of the cruel situation of the Moslems of Baku and its vicinity. They were
greatly concerned about the freeing of Baku. They formed military detachments and
asked Georgia for help. Occupied with their own affairs and obliged to fight the
bolsheviks at home, the Georgians would not grant the necessary aid. In the meantime
the bolshevik troops had occupied the railway in the district of Baku and Gheoktchay
and advanced towards the Kurd Emir junction, intending to push, forward as far as
Elizabethpol.
Help from Turkey
In this desperate situation, with no hope of help and fearing for the other
Mohammedan countries, a renewal of the tragedy of Baku the Government of
Azerbaijan, whose duty it was to save the population from the imminent danger,
could do nothing else but call the Turks to their help. Thanks to this help, the army,
created by the Azerbaijanian Government, freed first the railway line, then the district
of Shemakha from bolsheviks and then besieged Baku, which was taken after two
months by the Azerbaijanian troops.
THE AZERBAIJANIAN GOVERNMENT
RESTORES ORDER IN THE COUNTRY, WHICH HAD HEEN THROWN
INTO CONFUSION
BY THE BOLSHEVIKS
Parliament of Azerbaijan
Restoration
The fall of Baku left the Azerbaijanian Government free and eager to
reestablish order in the country. One important problem was to create afresh the organ
of legislative authority, for, in consequence of the political and military disturbances,
the sittings of the National Azerbaijan Council had ceased, and consequently the
Constitutent Assembly could not be called. In the meantime the armistice had
occured, which allowed the Azerbaijanian Government to apply all its energy to more
peaceful work.
The allied troops at Baku
Their first care was to send to Enzeli, a Persian town, an official mission,
which was to enter into communication with the English general Thomson,
commander in chief of Allied troops, and ask him to make his entrance into Baku.
This event took place on november 17th 1918. A solemn reception was held in honor
of the general representing the allied armies; he was receives by the representatives of
the Government. Shortly after, general Thomson published a proclamation in which,
speaking of the entry of the allied troops, he said that they had only one purpose - to
restore peace between the different sections of the territory of Azerbaijan. He ordered
all the inhabitants henceforth to obey the authority of the Azerbaijanian Government.
The Parliament
Previously to this event the Azerbaijanian Parliament had been called, which
replaced the Constituent Assembly. It was elected by the universal suffrage, with
representation of the minorities; thus beside the Moslem majority, there are also 21
Armenian and 10 Russian deputies, as well as representatives of the Poles, Jews and
other nationalities of the country. The Azerbaijanian Parliament, composed of 120
members, has very extensive rights in the legislative sphere, as well as in that of the
administrative activity, by means of the right of questioning the Government and
Dostları ilə paylaş: |