On the Level of Historical Truths: The \"Armenian Question\" after the Potsdam Conference

Authors : Hajar Verdiyeva

Pages : 141-157

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Publication Date : 2024-08-27

Article Type : Research

Abstract :The object of this research is to emphasize the fact that the Russian Empire and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) leadership, which purposefully continued the imperial policy of the Russian Empire in the 20th century, used the \"Armenian card\" from time to time to make groundless territorial claims against Turkey. After the victory over Hitler\'s Germany, USSR used the \"Armenian Question\" as a priority issue in its foreign policy. The article notes that, on the eve of the Potsdam Conference of 1945, the legend of \"Great Armenia\" coincided with the contours of the foreign policy of the USSR, and Moscow created fertile conditions for the development of the concept of \"Urartu\" created by the Armenian historian Kerope Patkanov at the end of the 19th century. The Joseph Stalin government of USSR’s emphasis on the concept of \"Urartu\" was related to the initiative to scientifically substantiate the baseless territorial claims on Eastern Anatolia. Moscow, acting in tandem with Armenia, brought up other aspects of the \"Armenian Question\" when it failed to achieve its goals. One of the new foreign policy directions was the issue of Karabakh. As a result of the decisive and principled position of Mirjafar Bagirov, the First Secretary of the Central Committee of Azerbaijan K(b), Armenians could not realize their claims to Karabakh. However, because of the pro-Armenian position of Stalin\'s government and the special activity of G. Arutyunov, the First secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Armenia, ethnic cleansing was carried out in the Armenian SSR in 1948-1953, and Azerbaijani Turks were deported from their historical lands. At this time, despite the serious efforts of the Armenian lobby, the expected large migration of Armenians from abroad did not take place. The article notes that, although ethnic cleansing was carried out in the Armenian SSR during the investigated period, USSR was forced to give up its groundless territorial claims against Türkiye, and the Armenian claims to Karabakh were wasted.
Keywords : Potsdam Konferansı, Türkiye, SSCB, Almanya, Ermeni Anlatısı, Doğu Anadolu, Karabağ, İsmet İnönü