Politics 11:15 25/05/2022 Region

Founder of Azerbaijan Republic of 1918 collaborated with Nazi Germany

By Harut Sassounian

Publisher, The California Courier

Pres. Ilham Aliyev and the Azeri media frequently disparage Armenian national hero Karekin Njteh for having associated with Nazi Germany during World War II.

However, Azeris never mention the affiliation of Mammad Rasulzade, the founding father of the independent Republic of Azerbaijan in 1918, with the Azerbaijani Legion which fought for Nazi Germany. Pres. Aliyev made no reference to Rasulzade in his 2017 speech, while naming the key figures of the first Republic of Azerbaijan.

In 2020, when Pres. Aliyev accused Njteh of being a Nazi, Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan shot back saying that Rasulzade “worked closely with Nazi Germany and the Nazi Party.” Pashinyan criticized Pres. Aliyev for glorifying Rasulzade. The Vice-Speaker of Azerbaijan’s Parliament Fezail Ibrahimli retorted at the plenary meeting of the parliament in May 2020, saying that Pashinyan’s accusation was “a delusion.”

While Pres. Aliyev keeps making critical comments about the statue of Karekin Njteh in Yerevan, he avoids recognizing that in Azerbaijan there are several Rasulzade streets and avenues, his statues are throughout the country, and his image is on postal stamps and banknotes. Rasulzade also has a municipality in Baku named after him. There is even the “Rasulzade Anatolian high school” in Ankara, Turkey.

Most people would not have been aware of Rasulzade’s concealed connection to Nazi Germany, if it were not for the mysterious last-minute cancelation of a documentary about his life which was to be aired on Azerbaijan State Television on January 31, 2022, the 138th anniversary of his birth. However, just one day before the air date, the documentary was cancelled without any explanation. As a result, Fakhraddin Hasanzade, a producer of the Azeri TV program, announced his resignation.

If aired, Rasulzade’s biographical documentary could have revived talk of his support for Hitler’s Azerbaijani Legion which was composed of 70,000 soldiers during World War II. The Armenian Legion had 11,600-33,000 soldiers, while the Georgian Legion had 30,000 soldiers, according to Wikipedia. The soldiers in all three Legions were prisoners of war who were captured by the Germans. They all hoped that a victory by Germany would liberate their homelands from Soviet occupation.

David Davidian, a lecturer at the American University of Armenia, wrote in World Geostrategic Insights: “Rasulzade established relations with the Nazis in the 1930’s while residing in Romania. At the outbreak of WWII, the German representatives notified Romanian authorities that Rasulzade was their political ally and asked that Rasulzade be issued documents permitting ease of diplomatic passage to Berlin. Rasulzade’s goal was to help Nazi Germany conquer the Caucasus or have Turkey as an ally of Germany do so, clearing the way for an independent Azerbaijan and probably destroying what remained of Armenia.”

Davidian added: “In May 1942, Rasulzade participated in meetings between Nazis and representatives of Caucasian Muslim emigres and actively recruited legionnaires for the German Wehrmacht [armed forces of Nazi Germany] from among Azerbaijani POWs…. Interestingly, Rasulzade remained in Germany until 1947. He eventually resided in Turkey until he died in 1955.”

Rasulzade’s grandson, Rais Rasulzade, wrote in the autumn 1999 issue of Azerbaijan International magazine: “It wasn’t long until Hitler started looking for someone to represent him in the Transcaucasian region. He couldn’t find anyone suitable among the Armenians or Georgians but had heard that Rasulzade was highly educated and cultured.” According to his grandson, when Hitler met Rasulzade in Berlin, he asked him to give a speech to the Azeri soldiers in the Nazi German army.

In a document (WO 208/4367) located in the United Kingdom War Office archives, Hitler was quoted as saying on December 12, 1942: “The Georgians are not a Turkish people, rather a typical Caucasian tribe, probably even with some Nordic blood in them. Despite all explanations -- either from [Alfred] Rosenberg [ideologist of Nazism] or from the military side -- I don’t trust the Armenians, either. I consider the Armenian units to be just as unreliable and dangerous. The only ones I consider to be reliable are the pure Muslims, which means the real Turkish nations.”

In his article, Davidian reported that the Azerbaijani Field Battalion I./111 “participated in suppressing the August 1944 Warsaw Uprising that killed an estimated 40,000 [Polish] civilians.”

In conclusion, Davidian reminded the Azeris of the proverb: “Those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones at others.” I would like to add the biblical admonition: “You hypocrite! First remove the beam out of your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck out of your brother's eye.”



Source Panorama.am
Share |

Related news

Տեքստում սխալ կամ վրիպակ նկատելու դեպքում, ուղարկեք խմբագրին հաղորդագրություն` նշելով տվյալ սխալը, այնուհետև սեղմելով Ctrl-Enter:

Newsfeed

17:02
Footballer killed by lightning strike at match in Peru
A football player in Peru has died and more have suffered injuries after being struck by lightning during a match on Sunday afternoon, the Daily...
16:46
On the trail of a post about Lori shared by Georgian president
Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili shared on Facebook a post by a Georgian travel agency offering tours to Armenia’s Lori Province on...
16:05
Parliament speaker names ruling party's candidate for Gyumri mayor
Armenia’s ruling Civil Contract party has picked Karen Sarukhanyan, a former governor of Shirak Province, as its candidate for the next...
15:42
Pashinyan criticized for failure to congratulate Moldova's president on re-election
Artur Sakunts, a human rights activist who heads the Helsinki Citizens' Assembly-Vanadzor, on Monday criticized Prime Minister Nikol...
15:07
Car crash in Armenia leaves one dead, three wounded
A tragic car crash in Armenia’s Aragatsotn Province on Monday left one person killed and three others injured. The Rescue Service...
14:36
Yerevan mayor says his 'good looks' could make him a target for corruption rumors
Yerevan Mayor Tigran Avinyan denied allegations of corrupt practices involving him as defamation.  “I guess my good looks...
14:14
Putin to accept credentials from new Armenian envoy on Tuesday
Russian President Vladimir Putin will receive the letters of credence from 28 newly arrived foreign ambassadors, including Armenian...
13:45
Legendary music producer Quincy Jones dies at 91
Quincy Jones, a titan of American entertainment who worked with stars from Frank Sinatra to Michael Jackson and Will Smith, has died aged...
13:30
Rain expected in some parts of Armenia on Monday
Rain is forecast for some parts of Armenia on Monday, with snow set to hit the country’s mountainous areas. Clear weather is expected...
13:04
At least 10 killed after volcano erupts in Indonesia
At least 10 people have been killed after a volcano erupted in eastern Indonesia in the early hours of Monday, BBC News reports, citing local...
12:46
ICRC visits Armenian prisoners held in Azerbaijan
Employees of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) visited Armenian prisoners held in Azerbaijan in October this year....
12:26
Spanish king pelted with eggs in flood-hit Valencia
Angry residents booed and threw eggs at Spain’s King Felipe and Queen Letizia as they visited the Valencia region, where more than 200...
12:10
Political analyst: Azerbaijan sitting on the twine
Political analyst Stepan Danielyan has weighed in on the latest developments regarding the Ukraine conflict. In a social media post on...
11:35
Tatoyan Foundation working to expose Azerbaijan's lies about Artsakh
Specialists of the Tatoyan Foundation are doing extensive work to expose the false Azerbaijani narratives about Armenia and Artsakh...
11:16
Maia Sandu wins second term in Moldovan presidential election
Moldova's pro-Western incumbent president Maia Sandu has won a second term in a pivotal presidential runoff against a Russia-friendly...
11:00
Trump reiterates support for Artsakh Armenians in phone call with Catholicos Aram I
Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump on Friday phoned His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of...
17:13
Public figure accuses Armenian authorities of attempting to intimidate him
Public figure Hovhannes Avetisyan, an expert in public finance management, accused the Armenian authorities of repression and crackdown on their...
16:34
Iran's supreme leader threatens Israel and US with 'crushing response'
Iran’s supreme leader on Saturday threatened Israel and the U.S. with “a crushing response” over attacks on Iran and its...
16:15
Armenia offers condolences to Serbia over tragic collapse at railway station
Armenia has extended condolences to Serbia following the tragic collapse at a railway station, which killed at least 14 people and...
16:00
Armenian lifter Alexander Lazaryan crowned junior European champion
Armenian weightlifter Alexander Lazaryan bagged a gold medal at the European Junior and U23 Championships being held in Raszyn, Poland, from...
15:36
Spiritual leaders urged to raise awareness on injustice against Artsakh Armenians ahead of COP29
His Holiness Catholicos Aram I of the Holy See of Cilicia, His Beatitude Catholicos-Patriarch Raphaël Bedros XXI of the Armenian Catholic...
15:00
Showers possible in Yerevan on Sunday
Clear weather is expected in Armenia on Saturday and later next week. Rain is forecast for some parts of the country on Sunday and Monday,...
14:35
Catholicos Aram I, Ocampo discuss issues related to Artsakh
Luis Moreno Ocampo, the first prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), on Friday contacted His Holiness Catholicos Aram I by...
13:53
Islam Makhachev vs. Arman Tsarukyan reportedly targeted for UFC 311 on January 18
Islam Makhachev vs. Arman Tsarukyan rematch is the only fight that makes sense in the lightweight division at the moment. The champ is running...
13:27
Armenian Genocide denial risks new tragedies, MP warns
Opposition lawmaker Tigran Abrahamyan blasted Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan’s latest genocide remarks as dangerous for Armenia’s...
12:46
Urgent action needed to safeguard integrity of COP29 as fossil fuel influence looms large in Baku, report warns
We are days away from the start of COP29 in Azerbaijan. After previous hosts Egypt and the UAE, many had hoped for a more promising (and less...
12:30
Armenian church marks Feast of All Saints
The Armenian Apostolic Church on Saturday celebrates the Feast of All Saints, also called All Saints' Day. The day...
12:01
Paris Masters: Khachanov through to semi-finals
Russian-Armenian Karen Khachanov won against Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov, the No 8 seed, 6-2, 6-3 to move into the last four of Paris Masters at...
11:30
Analysis: Aliyev's daughters reportedly control business empire worth over $13 billion
Michael Rubin, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and director of policy analysis at the Middle East...
11:00
Armenia's Milena Khachatryan wins silver at U23 European Championships
Armenian weightlifter Milena Khachatryan grabbed a silver medal at the European Junior and U23 Championships being held in Raszyn, Poland, from...

Follow us and get updates!

Most popular articles

{"core.blocks.header.spell_message1":"Selected mistake: ","core.blocks.header.spell_message2":"Send a message about the mistake?"}