Contemporary Azerbaijani Historiography on the Problem of "Southern Azerbaijan" after World War II

Abstract

In an attempt to fill the post-Soviet ideological vacuum and to consolidate power, the leaders of the newly independent Azerbaijan turned to continuous search for nation-state identity and re-evaluation of the Azerbaijani historical past. The lost war against Armenia in NagornoKarabakh (1988-1994), and the socio-economic crisis of the first half of the 1990s led to indoctrination through the public domain and education system and heavily influenced the new nation's shaping identity. Azerbaijani nationalism broke out with renewed force after the independence. Defeat in Nagorno-Karabakh sharpened the defensive feelings of the small Azerbaijani suppressed and divided in former times by its great neighbours, Russia and Iran. Suffering from the post-war low morale, the Azerbaijani people demanded new, comforting and encouraging national concepts. Not only historians considered it their duty to write on the glories and tragedies of the Azerbaijani nation, but also intellectuals, publicists, scientists, and journalists from all sorts of backgrounds came together to furnish proof that Nagorno-Karabakh had belonged to the Azerbaijani people since time immemorial. The idea of 'the great Azerbaijan state' possessing territory in contemporary Iran, Armenia, and Georgia gained great currency. One of the most popular themes, within the numerous branches of academia became 'the question of Southern Azerbaijan'. Geographically the so-called Southern Azerbaijan is now in an area north-west of Iran (Iranian Azerbaijan)' comprising two provinces of West Azerbai-