The role of political emigration in the Azerbaijani national independence movement (1920-1950)

The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, established in 1918, was invaded by the Bolsheviks in 1920, leading to the commencement of a national independence movement within Azerbaijan. During this period, members of the national government, nationalist intellectuals, and the national army members faced severe Soviet repression and were compelled to flee abroad to continue their struggle. During this period, political émigrés aimed to both guide the emerging independence movements within Azerbaijan and promote Azerbaijan's independence on the international stage. They carried out various activities with the purpose of shedding light on the true nature and objectives of Soviet policies, as well as introducing Azerbaijan's history and culture to the world. They residing in countries such as Turkey, Iran, Germany, France, Poland, and other countries established their own organizations, as well as press and media outlets, to support Azerbaijan's struggle for independence. Political emigrants, through organizations like the Caucasian Confederation Committee and Promethean group, collaborated in the fight for the collapse of communism and the independence of other nations under Soviet occupation. The purpose of this study is to examine the activities of political emigrants as a part of the Azerbaijani national independence movement between 1920 and 1950. Within the scope of the research, the international activities of emigrants, the formation processes and activities of anti-communist groups have been addressed, and publications such as magazines, newspapers, and books have been examined. In addition to internal dissension among emigrants, the political and ideological aspects of the struggle have also been thoroughly investigated.