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History

From 1918 to victory

A century of the national army: birth in the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, the restoration of independence and the road to the 2020 victory.

An army more than a century old

The history of the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan begins on 26 June 1918, when the government of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic — the first parliamentary republic in the Muslim world — decided to create the first regular national army. That day became the date of the modern holiday.

After the Soviet period, an independent army was re-established in 1991. Ahead lay the hard trials of the First Karabakh War, years of consolidation and modernisation, and finally the 2020 victory that returned Azerbaijan's lands.

Timeline

Key milestones

1918
Birth of the army
On 28 May the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic is proclaimed; on 26 June the first regular national army is created — the origin of the holiday.
1920
Soviet period
With the establishment of Soviet rule, the republic's national army was disbanded and merged into the general military system.
1991
Re-establishment
After the restoration of state independence, a law on the Armed Forces is adopted on 9 October — the national army is created anew.
1992
Ministry of Defence
Military command bodies are formed; the army takes part in the First Karabakh War under the harshest conditions.
1994
Ceasefire
The Bishkek ceasefire halts the fighting; about a fifth of the country's territory remains under occupation and around a million people are displaced.
1998
The date 26 June
By decree of President Heydar Aliyev, Armed Forces Day is moved from 9 October to 26 June, honouring the founding of the army in 1918.
2020
Patriotic War
From 27 September to 10 November, in 44 days, the army liberates Shusha and hundreds of settlements, restoring the country's territorial integrity.
2023
Full sovereignty
In September, local anti-terror measures restore Azerbaijan's full sovereignty over the entire territory of Karabakh.
Continuity of generations
Timeline

Continuity of generations

The modern army inherits the traditions of the officers and soldiers of the 1918 Azerbaijan Democratic Republic. From the first national army to the victorious Armed Forces — it is one continuous story of service to the homeland.

Karabakh & victory