Establishment of the Azerbaijani Democratic Party, Its Rise to Power, and Initial Steps
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: This article re-examines the formation of the Azerbaijani Democratic Party ( adp ) and the Azerbaijan National Government in 1945–46, with particular attention to the early phase when the adp seized power in Iranian Azerbaijan. While scholarship has generally interpreted these events within the framework of Soviet intervention and the early Cold War, most studies have prioritized the diplomatic rivalry between the USSR and the US–British alliance and have treated the “Azerbaijan crisis” largely as a geopolitical turning point. As a result, little attention has been paid to how the adp initially established control on the ground, the extent of local resistance and support during the takeover, and the first political and socio-economic measures announced immediately after consolidating power. Drawing mainly on British archival documents produced by observers with close access to developments, this article argues that the adp ’s early ability to impose authority was not based solely on the presence of Soviet forces but was closely linked to concrete social demands that shaped its first military, administrative, and reform initiatives. The analysis suggests that the early dynamics of power acquisition and the reception of the new government cannot be fully explained through international power rivalry alone. By focusing on the initial stage of the movement rather than its entire existence, the study highlights the importance of local socio-political conditions in understanding minority-based political mobilization in multi-ethnic states.
Source: Journal of History
DOI: 10.3138/jh-2026-0009
Authors: Gulamhuseyn Mammadov, Ramin Fatullayev
Institution: Qarabağ University
Language: English
Topic: Soviet and Russian History
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7204810364