| Republic of Mountainous Armenia Լեռնահայաստանի Հանրապետութիւն |
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| Capital | Goris (de-facto)[1] | |||
| Language(s) | Armenian (de-facto) | |||
| Government | Autonomous republic within Armenian SSR | |||
| Governor | ||||
| - 1921 | Garegin Nzhdeh | |||
| History | ||||
| - Established | 26 April 1921 | |||
| - Disestablished | July 1921 | |||
The Republic of Mountainous Armenia (Armenian: Լեռնահայաստանի Հանրապետութիւն, Lernahayastani Hanrapetut’yun; also known as the Autonomous Republic of Syunik or Mountainous Armenia) was a short-lived and unrecognized state in the South Caucasus, roughly corresponding with the territory that is now the present-day Armenian provinces of Vayots Dzor and Syunik, and parts of the present-day Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.
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On 20 September 1920, the Turkish General Kazım Karabekir invaded the borders of the Democratic Republic of Armenia, which was delineated by the United States. In response, the DRA declared war on Turkey on September 24 and the Turkish-Armenian War began. In the regions of Oltu, Sarikamis, Kars, Alexandropol (Gyumri) Armenian forces clashed with those of Turkish Karabekir. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk then sent several delegations to Moscow in search of an alliance. This proved disastrous for the Armenians.
On November 18, an armistice was concluded, and then a full peace treaty, the Treaty of Alexandropol, on 2 December 1920.
Armenia gave way to communist power in late 1920.
The Soviet 11th Red Army's invasion of the Democratic Republic of Armenia started on the 29th of November 1920. The actual transfer of power took place on December 2 in Yerevan, when the Armenian leadership approved an ultimatum presented to it by the Soviet plenipotentiary Boris Legran. Armenia agreed to join the Soviet sphere, while Soviet Russia agreed to protect its remaining territory from the advancing Turkish army. The Soviets also pledged to take steps to rebuild the army, to protect the Armenians and not to persecute non-communists, although the final condition of this pledge was reneged when the Dashnaks were forced out of the country. The Soviet Government proposed the annexation of the Nagorno-Karabagh and Syunik regions of Armenia to Soviet Azerbaijan. This step was strongly rejected by Garegin Nzhdeh, who declared Syunik as a self-governing region in December 1920. On January 1921 Drastamat Kanayan sent a telegram to Njdeh, suggesting allowing the sovietisation of Syunik, through which they could gain the support of the Bolshevik government in solving the problems of the Armenian lands. Njdeh again proved himself as a long-sighted politician, he did not depart from Syunik and continued his struggle against the Red Army and Soviet Azerbaijan.[2]
On 18 February 1921, the Dashnaks led an anti-Soviet rebellion in Yerevan and seized power. The ARF controlled Yerevan and the surrounding regions for almost 42 days before being defeated by the numerically superior Red Army troops later in April 1921. The leaders of the rebellion then retreated into the Syunik region.
On 26 April 1921, the 2nd Pan-Zangezurian congress, held in Tatev, announced the independence of the self-governing regions of Daralakyaz (Vayots Dzor), Zangezur, and Mountainous Artsakh, under the name of the Republic of Mountainous Armenia (Lernahaystani Hanrapetutyun).
The city of Goris became the capital of the unrecognized state, and Garegin Nzhdeh was chosen as prime minister and minister of defence. Later, in July, Simon Vratsian took the office as prime minister while Njdeh became the governor and the general commander.
Between April and July 1921, the Red Army conducted massive military operations in the region, attacking Syunik from north and the east. After months of fierce battles with the Red Army, the Republic of Mountainous Armenia capitulated in July 1921 following Soviet Russia's promises to keep the mountainous region as a part of Soviet Armenia. After losing the battle, Garegin Nzhdeh, his soldiers, and many prominent Armenian intellectuals, including leaders of the first Independent Republic of Armenia, crossed the border into neighboring Persian city of Tabriz.
The formation of the short-lived republic saved the Armenian population of Syunik from being massacred by the Tatars of Azerbaijan.[3] The heroism and rational diplomacy of Garegin Nzhdeh ensured that the southern Armenian region of Syunik remained in Soviet Armenian hands.[4][5]