Page "Foreign relations of Armenia" Paragraph 5

The current conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh ( NK ) began in 1988 when Armenian demonstrations against Azerbaijani rule broke out in both Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia and the Nagorno-Karabakh Supreme Soviet voted to secede from Azerbaijan and join Armenia.

Soon, violence broke out against ethnic Azeris in Armenia and ethnic Armenians in Azerbaijan.

In 1990, after violent episodes in Armenia, Nagorno-Karabakh, Baku and Sumgait, Moscow declared a state of emergency in Karabakh, sent troops to the region, and forcibly occupied Baku, killing over a hundred civilians.

In April 1991, Azerbaijani militia and Soviet forces targeted Armenian paramilitaries operating in Karabakh.

Moscow also deployed troops to Yerevan.

Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, conflict escalated into a full-scale war between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Military action was heavily influenced by the Russian military, which inspired and manipulated the rivalry between the two neighbouring nations in order to keep both under control.