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INDEPENDENT
SOUTH AZERBAIJAN 1945 – 1946
Mir
Jafar Pishavari South Azerbaijan Democratic
Government Leader
In Southern Azerbaijan,
the Turkish language was banned from schools and government offices.
Since the Turkish
language press shared the same fate, there were no Turkish newspaper or
magazines published.
Students were forced to
speak in Persian at schools, in the face of using their mother language they
were fined and
whipped by their
teachers or principles.
The government-sponsored
propaganda portrayed Turks as barbarians. Turks who wanted to climb up in state
hierarchy had to deny their ethnic background. In order to assimilate the Turks
into Persian culture Tehran was discouraging deliberately investments in
Azerbaijan by making it hard to obtain permission to set up any fundamental
industry there. Even in the case of obtaining permission, the cooperation of banking
system could not be expected. As a result, thousands of people had to leave
their homeland and settle in Persian cities to make a living.
The economy was chaotic "In contrast to the majority of people who lived
in abject poverty, there was a relatively small class of rich landowners and
merchants" (Fatemi.p.79). The people suffered from enormous difficulties
in obtaining their essential needs such as bread. In comparison to the other
regions the cost of living was much higher in Azerbaijan. The discrimination
reached a point where people in Azerbaijan started putting questions such as,
" While the sugar ratio in the capital is 1.5 kilos per month, why is the
ration for Azerbaijanis no more than 400 grams, and that is not per month but
rather, per season?" ( Atabaki. p. 86) . The political bureaucracy was
corrupt and the gendarmerie was nothing more than an instrument in the hands of
landowners to suppress the peasants. The appointed officials from Tehran were
more worried about their pockets than solving peoples problems " Officials
from the south find Tebriz and Reza'iyeh (Urmu) nothing more than dull
villages", where they can make money and get back to Tehran, or anywhere
down south". ( Atabaki. p. 86). The workers had no rights. Not a single
organization was allowed to defend their rights. Unions were outlawed. There
was no freedom of speech; the press, and radio were controlled by the central
government. "Azerbaijan was a microcosm of conditions existing in
Iran" (Fatemi.p.79).
People who know the fundamentals of revolution would agree that the required
subjective and objective conditions were ripe for a revolution in Azerbaijan.
But most of the Persian scholars, and their western counterparts not taking
into account the above situation, and lessening the importance of
socio-economic factors when it comes to the question of Azerbaijan, have tried
to label the revolution of the Azerbaijanis as a Soviet-sponsored intrigue. It
is also interesting to note that the Persian Liberal minded scholars have a tendency
to portrait or paint themselves as " INTERNATIONALISTS" when they are
talking about other oppressed people around the world.
However, when it comes to the question of Turks in so called Iran, they put
away their quasi internationalist musk and display their despicable racist
inclination. It can be seen in almost all of the so-called progressive Persian
media's reaction during and after the formation of Azerbaijani Democratic
Government. The following excerpt from the newspaper Iran-e Ma (Our Iran) is
just an example:
In the view of our writers, it is perfectly obvious that the local language of
Azerbaijan deserves respect. However, in our opinion the local language of
Azerbaijan can definitely not be the national language of our Azerbaijani
fellow countrymen because we do not consider the people of Azerbaijan to be a
nation separate from our other fellow countrymen and ourselves ( Atabaki, p.
104)
The Autonomous Government of Azerbaijan (1945-1946)
"On September 3, 1945, the Azerbaijan Democratic Party (ADP) was founded
in Tabriz. Two days later, the Azerbaijan Province Committee of the Iran
Peoples Party (Tudeh) merged with it" (Nissman. D. P.33).
Aware of Tehran's desire to crack down on the revolution in Tebriz, the Central
Committee of the Azerbaijan Democratic Party called on the people to take up
arms to defend their own government on November 9, 1945. Shortly thereafter,
the party started setting up volunteer paramilitary units called
"Fedayi".
On November 23, 1945, its (ADP) Central Committee issued a proclamation
defining its aim as the complete autonomy of Azerbaijan (Lencezowski, p. 288).
On December 12 the Provincial National Assembly was formally inaugurated. It
was composed of 101 deputies (Lencezowski, p. 289). On its first day of power,
the National Parliament of Azerbaijan in Tebriz challenged the puppet
government of the Shah in Tehran by declaring the Autonomous Government of
Azerbaijan and designating a government under the "premiership" of
Mir Cefer Pisheveri designed to safeguard the autonomy of Azerbaijan.
The government declared that it had no intention of breaking away from Iran.
Unlike the Soviet Azerbaijan, it did not follow a massive nationalization
program. Private property was respected. A people's army was formed from the
local militia. Turkish became the official language of the state. The
government also declared that it would distribute government-owned land among
the peasants, as well as that of the reactionary landlords who collaborated
with the enemy and fled the country. Universal suffrage was recognized. Within
a short period of time, schools were set up, the first medical school was
opened in Tebriz, the roads were repaired, and an eight-hour workday was
introduced. Within one year, the democratic government of Azerbaijan had done
more good for Azerbaijan than Riza Khan had done in the last 20 years of his
reign.
The Azerbaijani crisis was the first to come before the Security Council on
January 19, 1946. "Seyyed Hassan Taqizadeh, head of the Iranian delegation
to the General Assembly and the Iranian Ambassador to England, was instructed
by Hakimi to refer Iran's complaint to the Security Council "(Fatami,
p.96). Tehran was concerned about Soviet political support for the autonomous
government of Azerbaijan.
Tehran's inability to suppress Azerbaijan prompted it to start negotiations
with Tebriz. It also used diplomatic and economic tools to achieve its goal of
eradicating the government in Tebriz. As all dictators do in the time of
weakness, Tehran partially gave in to the Azerbaijani's demands on June 1946 by
signing a 15-point agreement, which recognized some of the Azerbaijani's
demands. By appeasing Russia's demand of joint exploration of oil in the
northern provinces and also pressuring them to evacuate their army through
diplomatic means on the land which had the U.S.A and UK's support, finally the
Soviet forces started withdrawing from Azerbaijan on March 24, 1946. The
evacuation was completed by May 09, 1946. Aware of Russia's behind the scene
negotiations with Tehran, the Pisheveri government started looking West of the
border for help. "In an emergency meeting of the " National
Parliament", the Prime Minister Pisheveri told the deputies there were
three alternatives left for the government:
1) Becoming united with Turkey;
2) Declaring independence if Turkey was to help them become recognized by the
foreign countries (this option was to be taken if the first one was thought of
affecting Turkey’s diplomatic relations negatively);
3) Continuing their struggle within Iran directly if Turkey refused the first
two options.
Three emissaries were sent to Ankara to discuss the situation with the Prime
Minister of Turkey Ismet Inonu. After staying for three month in Ankara and
giving all the military secrets of Azerbaijani army to Turkish officials not
only they were denied a meeting with the Prime Minister but also they were sent
back to Tehran where they subsequently were executed" ( Oren, Mehmet.
p.122).
Finally, Tehran having the U.S and UK's military help and getting green light
from Moscow and Ankara attacked Azerbaijan from three sides. On December,
12,1946 the autonomous government succumbed. On their way Iranian army
committed horrible crimes. The Turkish schoolbooks were set on fire and
according to some accounts more than 50.000 people were killed.