Natig Mammadzade: 1918-1920 is one of the most glorious and, at the same time, the most difficult and dramatic periods in the history of Azerbaijan. On the one hand, on May 28, 1918, the people of Azerbaijan gained independence, restored their national statehood, and were able to create a democratic state in the form of a republic. On the other hand, during this period, the Azerbaijani people were subjected to genocide committed by Armenian nationalists. The most tragic page in the history of XX century Azerbaijan is connected with the name of the Baku Soviet and its leader Stepan Shaumyan. Judging by the important political processes that took place as a result of the collapse of the Russian Empire, he was at the head of the political regime established in Baku and surrounding areas. Speaking under the banner of the Bolshevik movement, Shaumyan, in fact, expressed the interests of Armenian nationalism, which declared the establishment of the Armenian state in many parts of Turkey and Azerbaijan as his strategic goal. The political force led by Shaumyan, who occupied Baku and surrounding areas, could have achieved its goal only by destroying the Azerbaijani population. Thus, Azerbaijanis became victims of the policy of state terrorism in their land. The result of the policy pursued by Shaumyan and the Baku Soviet led by him was the genocide of tens of thousands of Azerbaijanis. The lifes of these innocent people were sacrificed for the realization of the “Great Armenia” ideology.
