One of the biggest achievements Azerbaijan gained in the history of independent statehood was formation of National Army, which has a very strong potential today. Background of Armed Forces in Azerbaijan dates back to the People’s Republic of Azerbaijan.

To accomplish its crafty policy, Russia removed Turkic-Muslim population from army at the time. This caused military inexperience of those nations, which could result in the lack of a regular army to prevent an Armenian aggression. This situation was mentioned in the independence declaration the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan adopted in 1918. The declaration says to defend itself from foreign interventions, neutralize domestic hostile forces, Azerbaijan must have a regular army, set up its armed forces. Because national statehood of a state without an independent army is sentenced to exist under the danger of foreigners.

Necessity for the formation of army resulted in the creation of National Army of Azerbaijan. On June 26, 1918, the first regular military unit – detached Azerbaijan corps was created upon the decision of the Council of Ministers of the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan and the Military Ministry of the People’s Republic of Azerbaijan was instituted on August 1. Despite a significant progress was achieved in the sphere of formation of national army of Azerbaijan for the short time, the national army was annulled after the Soviet occupation in April 1920.

However, at the initiative of national leader Heydar Aliyev, who ruled Azerbaijan in Soviet time, very important measures were taken towards formation of army. Thousands of young people were sent under his patronage to receive education in influential higher military schools of former USSR. Majority of officers heading the present National Army of independent Azerbaijan are the graduates of those years. Besides, on the initiative of this wise head of state the first military school named after Jemshid Nakhchyvanski was set up in Baku in 1973. Adopting this decision required a big courage, since the USSR leadership could not be indifferent to the creation of a school playing the role of a basis for the formation of national military personnel in Azerbaijan. Though commissions sent from Moscow to Baku tried to prove there was no need for the military school, a skillful diplomacy of Heydar Aliyev prevented those efforts. This military school has become one of the major bases in the formation of army in Azerbaijan and is of huge importance in the field of formation of military personnel.

The tradition started in the time of the People’s Republic of Azerbaijan was continued and developed after independence was restored. Thanks to the urgent actions taken by genius Azerbaijani Heydar Aliyev, who restored Azerbaijan’s independence, National Army was formed and regular armed forces able to defend Azerbaijan’s national interests were created.

The decree Heydar Aliyev signed on May 22, 1998 declared June 26, the day of creation of the first detached Azerbaijan corps in 1918, the Day of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Great leader Heydar Aliyev has given huge contributions to the training of national military personnel of Azerbaijan.

Global Firepower has ranked the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan 50th among the world’s strongest armies and named the Azerbaijani army the strongest in Caucasus, which should be considered one of the biggest achievements of the independence years. 

Laman Khalilova,
"Azerbaijan Realities".