100 years pass since collapse of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic

Today is the next anniversary of the collapse of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (ADR), the first democratic republic in the East, Report informs.

On April 27, militants of the Russian 11th Red Army moved towards Baku crossing the state border of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic.

ADR existed for 23 months. The Soviet Union annexed Azerbaijan. In spite of the being collapsed by the Soviet Union, the idea of liberation could not be defeated, and Azerbaijan regained its independence in 1991 after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Modern Azerbaijan Republic is the successor of ADR, which existed from May 28, 1918, till April 28, 1920.

The Russian Empire collapsed during the February Revolution of 1917. The national movement of the peoples that were oppressed by the Tsarist state in the country began. On May 28, 1918, the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (1918-1920) - the first secular democratic state founded in the Muslim East. This is the first experience of the Azerbaijani statehood in the historical memory of Azerbaijanis.

The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic founded by Mammad Amin Rasulzade was the example of the first parliamentary republic in the Turkic and Islamic world and the first democratic, legal and secular state.

The first head of the temporary government of Azerbaijan was Fatali Khan Khoyski. The National Council moved to Ganja after working for ten days in Tbilisi. Only in September 1918, when the Baku was cleared of the Dashnak-Russian forces with the leadership of the Turkish army, the national government moved from Ganja to Baku.

The independent Azerbaijan Republic has achieved great successes and victories during its short life. Among the important accomplishments of the ADR was the extension of suffrage to women, making Azerbaijan one of the first countries in the world, and the very first majority - Muslim nation, to grant women equal political rights with men.

ADR created its national army, national currency, a national bank, carried out economic reforms.

The first state, which officially recognized the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan, was the Ottoman Empire. That historic event took place on June 4, 1918. On November 9, 1918, on the basis of the proposal by Mammad Amin Rasulzade, the three-color flag of the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan was accepted.