Battle of Baku
The Battle of Baku (Azerbaijani: Bakı döyüşü, Turkish: Bakü Muharebesi, Russian: Битва за Баку) took place in August and September 1918 between the Ottoman–Azerbaijani coalition forces led by Nuri Pasha and Bolshevik–ARF Baku Soviet forces, later succeeded by the British–Armenian–White Russian forces led by Lionel Dunsterville and saw Soviet Russia briefly re-enter the war. The battle took place during World War I, was a conclusive part of the Caucasus Campaign, but a beginning of the Armenian–Azerbaijani War.[5][6]
Armenian units drilling in Baku.
![Murad of Sebastia led his volunteers and died at the Battle of Baku[19]](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fb/Armenian_Resistance_-Mourat_-_Defense_of_Erzinjan_1916.png/73px-Armenian_Resistance_-Mourat_-_Defense_of_Erzinjan_1916.png)
Ottoman Islamic Army of the Caucasus passing through Qazakh
The Ottoman Islamic Army of the Caucasus was under the command of Nuri Pasha. It was formed in Ganja. It included the Ottoman 5th Caucasian and 15th divisions, and the Azerbaijani Muslim Corps under general Ali-Agha Shikhlinski. There were roughly 14,000 Ottoman troops with 500 cavalrymen and 40 pieces of artillery.[1] 30% of the newly formed army consisted of Ottoman soldiers, the rest being Azerbaijani forces and volunteers from Dagestan.[16]
The Baku forces were commanded by the former Tsarist General Georgy Dokuchaev,[17] with his Armenian Chief of Staff, Yakov Bagratuni.[1] Under their command were about 6,000 Centrocaspian Dictatorship troops of the Baku Army or Baku Battalions.[1] The vast majority of the troops in this force were Armenians, though there were some Russians among them. Their artillery comprised some 40 field guns. Most of the Baku Soviet troops and practically all their officers were Armenians of Armenian Revolutionary Federation leanings, and often being members of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation. Among them was the fedayee commander Hamazasp, who had fought as a guerrilla leader against the Turks.[18]
The British mission, Dunsterforce, was headed by Major-General Lionel Dunsterville, who had arrived to take command of the mission force in Baghdad on 18 January 1918. The first members of the force were already assembled.[1] Dunsterville set out from Baghdad on 27 January 1918, with four NCOs and batmen in 41 Ford vans and cars.[1] The British troops in battle under Dunsterville numbered roughly 1,000. They were supported by a field artillery battery, machine gun section, three armoured cars, and two airplanes. He was to proceed through Persia (began from Mesopotamian Campaign through Persian Campaign) to the port of Anzali.
President Erdogan (left) with President Aliyev
Azerbaijani military hardware
Historical reenactors
