The first republics — and their wars

What happened

As Russian power collapses, Georgia (26 May) and then Armenia and Azerbaijan (28 May) declare independence. The three republics immediately dispute the mixed districts between them — Karabakh, Zangezur, Nakhchivan, Lori — fighting local wars complicated by Ottoman and British intervention.

The 1918–20 disputes are the direct ancestors of every later Armenia–Azerbaijan war: the same territories, the same demographic arguments, the same search for outside patrons. Independence lasted less than three years, but the questions it raised lasted a century.

Confidence: High