Armenian “historians” says Nagorno Karabakh was given to Azerbaijan by Stalin. Unfortunately, foreign researchers, as well as the media copy this false information. In order not to appear biased no reference will be made Azerbaijani and Turkish sources. References will be made only unbiased Armenian scholars and historical documents.

It is website of the Institute of Armenian studies of the University of Southern California. Editor at the Institute Emil Sanamyan took an interview with Arsen Saparov, professor of Armenian origin.

https://armenian.usc.edu/qa-with-arsene-saparov-no-evidence-that-stalin-gave-karabakh-to-azerbaijan/

Arsen Saparov born in Armenia, earned a PhD from the London School of Economics. He is the author of the book “From conflict to autonomy in the Caucasus: the Soviet Union and the making of Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Nagorno Karabakh.”

Emil Sanamyan asked: The view widely held in Armenia that Stalin “gave” Karabakh to Azerbaijan – how grounded is that in historical science?

Arsen Saparov responded: Of all the documents I have seen, there is no direct evidence of Stalin doing or saying something in those 12 days in the summer of 1921 resulted in this decision on Karabakh. However, the dominant discourse about Armenian history has been about victimization and a habit to look at events through that lens.

And what was Stalin’s role?

On the contrary, Stalin created the first free Armenian state. An article published by the Armenian Academy of Science in 1950, states that Armenian people for the first time in their centuries-old history created their own free republic with help of Soviet leaders.

After the establishment Soviet power in Armenia on November 29, 1920, Soviet leaders took Zangazur district from Azerbaijan and gave it as a gift to Armenia. On July 7, 1921, Stalin took Lori province from Georgia and gave it to Armenia. Armenians expelled Georgians from Lori province. Due to the transfer Zangazur district direct land connection between the lands of Azerbaijan was lost.

In fact, Nagorno Karabakh gained autonomy thanks to Stalin. In history there was no political entity called Nagorno Karabakh, there was the Karabakh Khanate covering a larger area. The Nagorno Karabakh autonomy had been artificially created in an area that covered the territories inhabited by Armenians to the maximum.

Hamlet Sargsyan, member of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia wrote the book

“Population of Armenia in the XIX and XX centuries”. I took statistics from his book. After the occupation of the South Caucasus by Bolshevik Russia in 1921, 26.4 percent of the population of Armenia were Azerbaijanis and 2.5 percent were Kurds. With Stalin’s help Armenia began to expel Azerbaijanis and Kurds from Armenia and did so officially. Stalin signed a decree ordering the deportation of 100,000 Azerbaijanis from Armenia and replacement of Armenians from abroad in their houses in 1947. In the video you may see the resettlement ticket of an Azerbaijani from Armenia. I hope Armenian terrorists will not kill Armen Saparov and Hamlet Sargsyan.

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