Ashraf AboArafe
As usual, today, June 26, the Republic of Azerbaijan celebrates the 130th anniversary of the establishment of the first Azerbaijani National Army, after liberation from the grip of the Tsarist Russian Empire, which lasted for nearly 100 years, so that the Azerbaijanis could establish the first democratic republic in the Islamic East, but it only lasted Only two years, then the Bolsheviks in the Soviet Union decided to include Azerbaijan as a republic within the union republics, for a period of 70 years, before it collapsed in the early nineties of the last century.
The Azerbaijanis are indebted to the patriotic leaders of the liberation movement, such as Samad Bey Mahmandarov, Ali Agha Shekhlinsky, Huseyin Khan Nakhchoansky, Ibrahim Agha Usupov, Kazem Qajar, Javad Bey Shekhlinsky, Habib Bey Salimov and others, who played a major role in the formation of the National Defense Forces. preparing and training specialized cadres, and establishing military bases; The number of military components of the army reached 40 thousand, and under the leadership of these leaders, the National Army was able to clear the city of Baku and other cities from the occupation of the armed gangs of Tashnak.
The Declaration of Independence states that Azerbaijan should establish its own armed forces in order to defend itself from any external interference, the new government established an army of 25,000 soldiers at the beginning, the Azerbaijani War Ministry was established and Khosobek Sultanov was the first Minister of Defense Azerbaijani on August 1, 1918, and the national army was able within a short period in cooperation with the Caucasian Islamic Army to liberate Baku, and the first military parade was held in Azerbaijan on the lands of the current museum center in the capital Baku in 1919 AD, but after the Soviet Russia’s invasion of Azerbaijan in 1920 AD the Ministry of War was abolished with Execution of 15 generals of the national army by firing squad.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, and Azerbaijan’s return to breathing the nectar of freedom and independence in 1991, the leader Heydar Aliyev decided to consider June 26 of each year, a holiday marking the establishment of the first national army, and worked to raise the efficiency of army personnel and arm it with the latest combat equipment, as well as the establishment of groups For military and defense production, in addition to participating in United Nations peacekeeping operations, most notably the peacekeeping forces in Afghanistan.
Today, our valiant army achieved a clear victory after a war with Armenia that lasted 44 days, where the Azerbaijani army, with the hands and blood of its sons, won a crushing victory over the Armenian army and ended the conflict that lasted for many years.
The victory march of our glorious army led by the President, Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, Mr. Ilham Aliyev, ensured the historic victory of Azerbaijan. Our people rightly celebrated the liberation of our occupied lands for nearly 30 years and the restoration of historical justice and the territorial integrity of our country with pride and joy.
The Azerbaijani army, equipped with professional, trained, advanced and agile military equipment, capable of successfully carrying out any military mission, pushed the invaders from the historical Azerbaijani lands as victorious armed forces.
Technological diversity was one of the most important factors of Azerbaijan’s victory in the war. The technical gap between the two warring armies was clear and evident. We saw the Azerbaijani forces’ drones striking the armored vehicles and tanks of the Armenian army, while the latter was fighting with outdated Soviet military equipment, and its fortifications did not help it. And his trenches in nothing, the value of the equipment that was destroyed by the Azerbaijani aviation was estimated at more than two billion dollars.
The victory on the battlefield militarily led to a victory on the political arena. Azerbaijan achieved what it wanted, both on the battlefield and at the negotiating table.
Plans and attempts to obtain the so-called “Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) Republic” in Karabakh were unsuccessful, since as a result of his diplomatic skills, leadership qualities and high-level relations with the international community, the Azerbaijani president was able to break these plans and send the regime the so-called Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) Republic go to hell.
