Nagorno-Karabakh Requests Transfer to Armenia
The Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast officially requests transfer from Azerbaijan to Armenia, marking the beginning of the conflict
The regional Soviet of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast (NKAO) passed a resolution requesting the transfer of the region from the Azerbaijan SSR to the Armenian SSR, citing economic neglect and cultural suppression.
Background
Nagorno-Karabakh, a predominantly ethnic Armenian region, had been part of Azerbaijan since 1923 when Soviet authorities placed it under Azerbaijani jurisdiction despite Armenian protests.
The Vote
On February 20, 1988, the NKAO regional council voted 110 to 17 to request unification with Armenia. This unprecedented move challenged Soviet territorial arrangements and sparked demonstrations in both republics.
Immediate Reactions
- Armenia: Mass demonstrations in Yerevan supporting the request
- Azerbaijan: Counter-demonstrations rejecting any territorial changes
- Moscow: Initial attempts to maintain status quo while calling for calm
Significance
This vote marked the beginning of the modern Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and became one of the first major ethnic territorial disputes to emerge during Gorbachev’s glasnost period.