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After six days, the Armenians began to continue their atrocities in Shamakhi
again.
S. Afandiyev, who was the witness of the event, notes that it was
impossible to move aroundas the corpses were laying everywhere. I saw the
corpses of Muslims who were killed with enormous brutalities. But I will never
forget especially one scene, where half-split corpse of a 3-4 year old kid, was
laid on the corpses of male and female. (35)
Comparative analysis of the number of people in Shamakhi enables to
elicit the truth on anti-Muslim policy carried out by the Tsarist and Bolshevik
Russia. If 24 thousand families lived in Shamakhikhanate in 1811 and 15
thousand in Shamakhi district in 1918, the number declined by 1700 in 1921,
which prove the large-scale atrocities committed in the region. (36)
Those who escaped from Shamakhi massacre headed to the center of
Goychay district. Since the survived people, suffering from hunger and
coldness, used the water of the so-called Garasu, they got caught the disease and
eventually massively died. Although the well-known poet of Azerbaijan Abbas
Sahat survived the Shamakhimassacre, he suffered from hunger and coldness,
and ultimately he died at the same year.
Liberation of Shamakhi and Baku, secret talks of international forces
with Russia against Azerbaijan and Turkey, support of leaders of the
Entente and the Union of Three Forces to the enemy coincide with tense
situation. After the collapse of the Baku Soviet, Sentrokaspi dictatorship,
composed of eser-dashnak-menshevik, was established in Baku in August 1,
1918 with the participation of the British consul Mac-Donel under the
chairmanship of A.Arakelyan, chairman of the Presidium.
Arrival of the British forces with 1500 soldiers to Baku, under the
command of the colonel Stocks and general Denstervil, with the invitation of the
same institution in August 4 and 18 and the additional agreement to the Brest
treaty signed between Germany and the Soviet Russiain August 27, 1918 prove
it. Part IV of this agreement stipulates the following terms with regard to the
Caucasus:
1)
Russia will accept recognition of independent Georgia by Germans;
2)
Germany will under no circumstances render a military assistance
outside the territory of Georgia and/or to the third country within the territory,
which was defined by Turkish Brest-Litovsk - treaty;
3)
Germany will take a serious measures once any third country passes
the borders of Shamakhi
and Baku districts;
4)
Russia will send to Germany one-third of the revenue of the
extracted oil from Baku or special monthly percent of the revenue. (37)
Despite these challenges, Shamakhi was liberated after the bloody
fights in Ujar, Mususllu, Goychay, Garameryem, Kurd-amir, Akhsu in the
period of June 6 and July 20, 1918. Although there was a severe rain in July 19,
93
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XIII forces of Caucasian Islamic Army liberated Shamakhi from the enemy at 6
a.m. in July 20 after they freed Goylar, Chukhanli, Malik, Chobanli and Merez
villages.
Presence of one officer and four British soldiers among the hostages
prove that even before the establishment of Sentrokaspy dictatorship and prior to
the arrival of the British to Baku, British military rendered military assistance
confidentially to the Bolshevik-Armenian forces against the Caucasian Islamic
Army. (38)
Once the Turkish Caucasian Islamic Army with Azerbaijani military
forces approached to Baku in August-September 1918, the Bolshevik commissar
and leaders of Sentrokaspy dictatorship stole millions of manat from the Baku
bank while fleeing. However, they failed to rob jewelry in 8 boxes and in 2
sacks. Later, Azerbaijani government confiscated them, and although it was in a
great need, it established a special commission to return the jewelry to their
owners. (39)
After the liberation of Baku, Azerbaijani government addressed to the
nation in September 17, 1918. The head of the government, F. Khoysky, noted
in his address: “Muslims were killed, abused and were looted... after 3 days
fight, the city was freed, people and army entered the city being furious ... the
government entered the city after 3 days.
After the arrival of the government, the address was made on behalf of
the Azerbaijani government to the people in Baku and in its suburbs. The
address specifies that all citizens, living in Azerbaijan, regardless of nationality
and language possess equality, and their life, property and rights will be
protected, and those who violate the public order, will be punished.” (40)
The address of the government once again proves that the Azerbaijan
Democratic Republic was civil and legal state unlike the Bolshevik-Dashnak
regime.
N. Nerimanov wrote about the Shamakhi massacre: “after the return
from Shamakh... M.Azizbeyov told me the tragedy in tears. Previously located
armed forces of T. Amirov and S. Lalayev in Baku killed all Azerbaijanis
regardless of age and sex; they committed unprecedented crime in the world,
they killed children with a sword, and burnt people putting them together in the
mosque. It became clear to me that the Soviet government depended on
Dashnaks in Baku. Evidently, after all these atrocities to Azerbaijani population
by Armenian gangs, Azerbaijani proletariat had the right to receive assistance
from Turkey and from national bourgeoisie and showing its backside to the
Soviet government.” (41)
During the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (May 1918-April 1920)
March 31 of 1919 and 1920 was marked as a National Mourning day. Numerous
terrible facts were presented in “Azerbaijan” newspaper, published in this
period, on Armenian atrocities to Azerbaijanis. The witness of these horrible