Rahil Jafarov Group No. 851
Written on the occasion of the January 20th anniversary
Summary
The events of January 20, 1990 are of great importance in the history of Azerbaijan as both a tragedy and a turning point in the national liberation struggle. The article analyzes the social, political and economic tensions on the eve of January 20, the military intervention of the Soviet leadership and its consequences. The events showed that the national will and statehood consciousness cannot be broken only under violence and pressure, on the contrary, these tests strengthen the political activity of the people and radically advance the idea of independence. After January 20, Azerbaijani society moved from the position of a passive observer to an active political subject, and the idea of national unity and sovereignty became the main guide on the path leading to the processes of future state building and the Karabakh conflict. The celebration of the anniversary of the event is not only to commemorate the memory of the past, but also to preserve national memory, strengthen statehood consciousness and teach a lesson to future generations.
"The tragedy of January 20 is a page written in blood in the history of the struggle of the Azerbaijani people. This tragedy could not break the will of our people, but on the contrary, it strengthened their determination for freedom."
Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan
In the modern history of the Azerbaijani people, the events of January 20, 1990 should be assessed not only as a tragedy, but also as a turning point in the national liberation struggle. The annual celebration of the anniversary of this event is not only mournful, but also necessitates a re-analytical assessment of the historical path taken by the people, the sacrifices made, and the political results achieved. The tragedy of January 20 clearly demonstrated the bankruptcy of imperial rule and brought the idea of independence to an irreversible stage in Azerbaijani society.
This article analyzes the processes leading to the January 20 events, the political and social transformation following the tragedy, and the role of this event in the formation of modern Azerbaijani statehood based on historical sequence and cause-and-effect relationships.
Events on the eve of January 20: systematic increase in tension
In the late 1980s, the weakening of central power in the USSR, instability in governance, and economic problems strengthened the tendencies for freedom and national sovereignty in the national republics. In Azerbaijan, this process took on a more acute character, especially in direct connection with the Karabakh issue. Since 1988, Armenia's territorial claims against Azerbaijan, the mass expulsion of Azerbaijanis from Western Azerbaijan, and the indifferent attitude of the central government to these processes have created a deep dissatisfaction and protest mood in society [1, p. 42]. During this period, both national-cultural and political consciousness were rapidly developing in society; people were no longer content with only regional or ethnic problems, but began to raise the issue of independent statehood and legal sovereignty.
Although the mass rallies held in Baku and other cities were initially peaceful, over time they brought the people's demands for national freedom and political sovereignty to the fore. Through the rallies, people not only protested Armenia's territorial claims, but also questioned the central government's position on protecting the country's territorial integrity. The Soviet leadership chose to silence these demands not through dialogue, but through force. Until January 1990, an artificially uncontrollable situation was created in Baku, and information about the declaration of a state of emergency was hidden from the population [2, p. 17]. This policy created serious tension both domestically and internationally. Although information was spread in foreign media and diplomatic circles about the tense situation in Azerbaijan, the USSR leadership tried to resolve the events secretly and by using military force.
Moscow's main goal was not only to restore public order, but also to intimidate the independent political will of the Azerbaijani people and weaken the national liberation movement. From this point of view, the events of January 20 were not a spontaneous decision, but were carried out as a pre-planned military-political operation [3, p. 89]. Even at that time, the USSR leadership had imposed an information blockade in Azerbaijan to prevent the spread of events and severely restricted the dissemination of news within the country. Although such measures were aimed at undermining the fighting spirit of the people, on the contrary, they increased tension even more. Also, the socio-economic situation in Azerbaijan on the eve of January 20 acted as a tension factor. Economic difficulties, shortages of food and industrial products, uncertainty in the workplace increased the potential for discontent in society and led to an increase in the number of political rallies and demonstrations. In these circumstances, the people's demand for freedom was not limited only to national identity and territorial integrity, but became a broader demand demanding the right to participate in political decision-making and the responsibility of the state towards its citizens. Thus, the events that took place in Baku and other cities on the eve of January 20 were part of a chain of tensions that attracted attention not only in domestic political processes, but also in the international context. The goal of the USSR leadership was both to stop the national liberation movement and to forcibly ensure political stability in Azerbaijan. However, the will of the people and national consciousness counteracted this military-political plan, as a result of which the tragedy of January 20 went down in history as both a tragedy and a turning point in the formation of the idea of national liberation.
The January 20 tragedy: military violence and loss of legitimacy
On the night of January 19-20, 1990, the Soviet army entered Baku, killing hundreds of civilians and injuring thousands. The use of heavy equipment and weapons by the army against the civilian population, as well as the mass shooting, was a clear violation of the Constitution of the USSR and international human rights norms [4, p. 56]. The events spread widely in Baku and the surrounding cities, and the deaths and injuries caused great protests throughout the country and abroad. This was a tragedy that was not measured only by physical losses; at the same time, it was a psychological and moral blow that left a deep mark on the political consciousness of the people.
The events of January 20 showed that the Soviet leadership intended to stop the national liberation movement only by the use of force. However, on the contrary, these events further strengthened the political awakening of the Azerbaijani people. The tragedy played a catalytic role in the formation of the national will of the people; people were not satisfied with defending their territorial integrity, but also put forward the idea of independence and sovereignty in a more radical way.
Before the incident, certain social groups hoped for reforms within the USSR, for dialogue and compromise opportunities for the central government. However, after January 20, these hopes were completely shattered, the people realized that independence is not a concept that can be suppressed only by force and force, but also through the unity and political activity of the people. From this point of view, the tragedy of January 20 became the main factor that radically strengthened and prioritized the idea of independence. As a result of the incident, Azerbaijani society has already moved from the position of a passive observer to an active political subject. January 20 also showed that the legitimacy of the state is measured not only by formal institutions of governance, but also by the will of the people and national consciousness. This tragedy laid the ideological and moral foundation of the future independent statehood of Azerbaijan and became the main guide on the path leading to the Karabakh conflict and state-building processes in the future.
After January 20: transformation of national consciousness
After the events of January 20, a significant qualitative change took place in Azerbaijani society. The idea of national freedom was no longer just a form of emotional protest, but a concrete political goal. Society realized what disasters the weakness of the state could lead to and began to perceive the establishment of an independent state as a historical necessity [1, p. 118].
During this period, national solidarity strengthened, and a direct connection between “security - sovereignty - statehood” was formed in public consciousness. The restoration of independence in 1991 was the result of this transformation of consciousness. However, the political instability experienced in the first years of independence and the failures in the Karabakh war showed that formal independence was not enough.
In this context, the tragedy of January 20 served as a historical lesson for the strengthening of the state, the creation of a national army, and the formation of strategic thinking in the subsequent stages.
January 20 – Victory Line and Modern Statehood
The Victory achieved in the 44-day Patriotic War of 2020 can be assessed as the logical result of the national liberation struggle that began on January 20. If January 20 showed the tragic consequences of the absence of a state, Victory proved that a strong state can restore historical justice [5, p. 203].
The celebration of the anniversary of the January 20 tragedy should not only aim to commemorate the painful memories of the past. This date is, first of all, an important opportunity to understand the causes and consequences of the events that occurred in the modern history of the Azerbaijani people and to analytically reassess national memory. The events of January 20 showed that the deprivation of statehood, the weakness of political will, and the failure to ensure national solidarity at the institutional level can lead to grave and irreversible consequences for the people. This tragedy clearly demonstrated to Azerbaijani society that sovereignty, independent decision-making, and national unity are not abstract concepts, but values that are of direct vital importance.
Historical experience proves that freedom is not a political status achieved only once. It must be continuously protected, strengthened and developed in accordance with the changing international and regional conditions. The January 20 tragedy was a difficult but necessary lesson for the Azerbaijani people in this regard. This event showed that national security cannot be ensured without strong state institutions, legal foundations and political maturity of society. It is as a result of this lesson that state building, army formation and strategic thinking became priority issues in the subsequent stages. The historical path from tragedy to Victory reflects the evolution of the national will and political consciousness of the Azerbaijani people. The January 20 events raised the idea of national freedom from the level of emotional protest to the level of a real political goal, turning the people from passive observers of history into active subjects. Although the difficulties encountered in subsequent periods, including the occupation of territories and instability in the first years of independence, showed that this path was not easy, they could not change the general direction of the historical process. The Victory achieved in 2020 served as the logical conclusion of this long-term struggle. As a result, the tragedy of January 20 is not only a day of sorrow in the history of Azerbaijan, but also a turning point where national maturity was formed and the concept of freedom gained real content.
Literature list
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