Azerbaijan's Strategy to Win the Conflict over the Nagorno-

Karabakh Territory with Armenia in 2020

Maretha Syawallin Umarach
Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta
Email: marethaallin@gmail.com

Ali Muhammad
Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta
Email: ali.fisipol@gmail.com
DOI: https://doi.org/10.18196/jiwp.v7i1.49

Abstract
Decades ago, Armenia and Azerbaijan, two countries in the South Caucasus region, had disagreements
over a territorial dispute called Nagorno-Karabakh. In 1921, the Government of the Soviet Union
annexed the predominantly ethnic Armenian Nagorno-Karabakh into Azerbaijan. However, after the
Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, Armenian separatists seized Nagorno-Karabakh in an incident backed
by the Armenian Government. Azerbaijan showed its distaste for this treatment, resulting in fighting
between Azerbaijan and Armenia, where around 30,000 people died. Before 2020, the Nagorno-
Karabakh conflict could be frozen due to strenuous peace efforts even though various parties had
intervened to find the best solution. Until November 10, 2020, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev,
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to sign an
agreement to stop the fighting that had been taking place in the Nagorno-Karabakh region. The
ceasefire was signed after Azerbaijani military forces managed to control most of Nagorno-Karabakh.
This study uses an offensive realism paradigm to analyze Azerbaijan's strategy to win the conflict over
the Nagorno-Karabakh region with Armenia in 2020. The results revealed that Azerbaijan developed
beneficial diplomatic relations with Turkey, Israel and Russia. These countries later assisted. One of
them was the assistance of military equipment which enabled Azerbaijan to win the war against
Armenia.
Keywords: Nagorno-Karabakh, 44-day war, territorial dispute, military cooperation, offensive
realism paradigm
Abstrak
Puluhan tahun lalu Armenia dan Azerbaijan, dua negara yang berlokasi di kawasan Kaukasus Selatan,
telah berselisih paham mengenai sengketa wilayah yang bernama Nagorno-Karabakh. Pada tahun
1921, Pemerintah Uni Soviet menggabungkan Nagorno-Karabakh yang didominasi etnis Armenia ke
dalam Azerbaijan. Namun setelah Uni Soviet runtuh pada tahun 1991, separatis Armenia merebut
Nagorno-Karabakh dalam sebuah insiden yang didukung oleh Pemerintah Armenia. Azerbaijan
menunjukkan ketidaksukaannya atas perlakuan ini, sehingga terjadi pertempuran antara Azerbaijan
dan Armenia yang menewaskan sekitar 30.000 orang. Sebelum tahun 2020 konflik Nagorno-Karabakh
ini dapat dikatakan sebagai konflik beku karena upaya perdamaian yang sulit meskipun berbagai pihak
telah melakukan intervensi untuk menemukan solusi terbaik atas konflik ini. Hingga pada 10
November 2020, Presiden Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, Perdana Menteri Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, dan
Presiden Rusia Vladimir Putin sepakat untuk menandatangani perjanjian guna menghentikan
pertempuran yang selama ini terjadi di wilayah Nagorno-Karabakh. Gencatan senjata tersebut
ditandatangani setelah pasukan militer Azerbaijan berhasil menguasai sebagian besar wilayah
Nagorno-Karabakh. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk melakukan analisis mendalam terkait strategi
Azerbaijan memenangkan konflik perebutan wilayah Nagorno-Karabakh dengan Armenia tahun 2020
menggunakan paradigma realisme ofensif. Hasil penelitian mengungkapkan bahwa Azerbaijan
membangun hubungan diplomasi yang sangat menguntungkan dengan Turki, Israel, dan Rusia.
Negara-negara inilah yang kemudian memberikan bantuan, salah satunya bantuan perlengkapan

Islamic World and Politics

Vol.7. No.1 June 2023 ISSN: 2614-0535, E-ISSN: 2655-1330
 Journal of Islamic World and Politics
120 | Vol. 7. No.1 June 2023
militer yang membuat Azerbaijan dapat memenangkan perang melawan Armenia.
Keywords: Nagorno-Karabakh, perebutan wilayah, perang 44 hari, kerja sama militer, paradigma
realisme ofensif
Introduction
Armenia and Azerbaijan had disagreements
over a territorial dispute called Nagorno-
Karabakh years ago. Both countries are located
in the South Caucasus region. This mountainous
area is about 1,700 square miles; most of the
population are Muslim Turks and Christian
Armenians. In 1921, the Government of the
Soviet Union annexed Nagorno-Karabakh into
Azerbaijan. Officially, the international
community recognized this region as part of
Azerbaijan and was known by its Russian name,
Nagorny Karabakh, which, when translated,
became the Karabakh Mountains. But for the
Armenian people and the Armenian population
who lived in that region, Nagorno-Karabakh
was an independent area outside the control of
Azerbaijan (Blakemore, 2020).
In 1991 after the Soviet Union government
collapsed, Armenian separatists seized
Nagorno-Karabakh in an incident supported by
the Armenian Government. Azerbaijan showed
its distaste for this treatment, resulting in
fighting between Azerbaijan and Armenia,
where around 30,000 people died. Hundreds of
thousands of people also became victims and
fled their homes. In 1994, Azerbaijan and
Armenia had a ceasefire mediated by Russia, the
United States and France. However, this does
not necessarily reduce the existing conflict. In
2016, the violent clashes were repeated. The
dispute left around 110 people dead
(Pristiandaru, 2020). Also, conflicts between the
two countries occur almost yearly (Haryanto,
2020).
In this tension between Armenia and
Azerbaijan, Russia and Türkiye, major countries
in the region, also involve themselves. Russia is
generally seen as an ally of Armenia, while
Türkiye is an ally of Azerbaijan. However, in
hindsight, Armenia, Russia and Türkiye have
supported oil-rich Azerbaijan. Türkiye issued a
strong statement in support of Azerbaijan’s
ambition to recapture Nagorno-Karabakh
(Lynch, 2010). Relations between Türkiye and
Armenia are not harmonious because Armenia
has a grudge against Türkiye. According to
Armenia, Türkiye committed the genocide of
around 1.5 million Armenians during the reign
of the Ottoman Turks during World War I.
Regarding this assumption, 30 countries also
admit that the killings amounted to genocide,
but Türkiye vehemently denies this. On the
other hand, Russia has close ties with Armenia.
Russia also leads the military alliance of the
Collective Security Treaty Organization
(CSTO), which comprises six member states of
the former Soviet Union, including Armenia.
Armenia counts on Russia's support and military
guarantees (Pristiandaru, 2020). In addition,
apart from the involvement of Türkiye and
Russia, there are indications of Israel's
participation in the conflict over the Nagorno-
Karabakh region, namely the support shown by
Israel to Azerbaijan.
The conflict between Armenia and
Azerbaijan is one of the oldest conflicts in the
world. Even though the locations of these two
countries are close together, the two countries
have quite a lot of differences, among others, in
terms of religion, culture, language, and writing.
Then these two countries both have past traumas
that still make an impression on the minds of
their people. Armenia in World War I was
genocide by Türkiye, Armenia was worried that
Azerbaijan would do the same thing due to its
closeness to Türkiye. Meanwhile, Azerbaijan
remembershe Khojaly massacre in 1992 when
Armenian troops tried to carry out ethnic
cleansing against them (Ibrahimov, 2015). Over
the years, attempts have been made to reconcile
Azerbaijan and Armenia, such as through
mediation efforts. However, the results of the
mediation meeting have not produced the
expected results, so before 2020 the Nagorno-
Karabakh conflict can be said to be a frozen
conflict due to strenuous peace efforts despite
various parties have intervened to find the best
solution to this conflict (Wibawa & Firawati,
2016). However, in September 2020,
Azerbaijan managed to survive the 44-day war
against Armenia, which later led this country to
win the war.

Azerbaijan's Strategy to Win the Conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh Territory with Armenia in 2020
Regarding Azerbaijan's success, on
November 10, 2020, Azerbaijani President
Ilham Aliyev, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol
Pashinyan, and Russian President Vladimir
Putin agreed to sign an agreement to stop the
fighting that had been taking place in the
Nagorno-Karabakh region (Bimo, 2020).
Armenia's agreement to sign the ceasefire
signifies that the Nagorno-Karabakh region has
legally become part of Azerbaijan. On his
official Facebook page, Nikol Pashinyan said
that it was with a heavy heart that he had to
make this decision. He also added that this
decision was painful for the people of Armenia
(Utomo, 2020).
Theoretical Framework and Research
Method
In analyzing the factors behind Azerbaijan's
victory over the territorial dispute with
Armenia, the author used the theory of offensive
realism, which is part of the realism paradigm.
Realism studied human behavior in forming
relations between countries. Humans were born
with evil, selfish, greedy instincts and wanted to
compete with each other for life. Also,
according to this theory, humans would struggle
to get what they want, even if it would lead to
death on one side or both. The theory of realism
in international relations placed the concept of
power as the center of all nation-state behavior.
This theory assumes that states act to maximize
their power to achieve their goals better. There
were several assumptions of the realism theory
in international relations: Countries exist in a
world without supreme authority to enforce law
and order. Countries live in an anarchic world,
and the state is the main actor in international
relations. Although other actors in international
relations continue to develop, their positions and
roles remain secondary in world politics. States
are quite rational actors who can recognize the
international situation in which they determine
themselves with all the risks and opportunities
in the international sphere. As a result of the
reality of anarchy, security is a major issue in
international politics. Countries live in an
international system where war and violence are
always lurking, and efforts to create security are
very competitive because competition and
conflict are inherent in world politics and
relations between countries (Waltz, 1979).
Maretha Syawallin Umarach and Ali Muhammad
| 121
The basis of the realist approach was the
Peloponnesian War. Around the 5th century BC,
Thucydides, an ancient Greek historian, argued
that the Peloponnesian War occurred because of
the dilemma of the Spartan cities, who saw the
power of the Athenian cities, thus creating a
"security dilemma". Sparta felt threatened, in a
state of dilemma, then decided to attack before
being attacked. Thus, the "security dilemma" is
the cause of the outbreak of the war. This
concept of maintaining national borders for
European nations continued to receive attention
centuries later. The famous 16th-century Italian
philosopher Niccolo Machiavelli in his book
The Prince, a guidebook for Italian kings at that
time, wrote: "...it is better for people to fear us
(kings) than they love us (kings)", which should
be advised to the rulers in Italy in governing
their country that includes cruelty.
Then there was the 17th-century English
philosopher Thomas Hobbes, who expressed the
same ideas although he lived in different
countries at different times. According to
Hobbes, in this short, troubled and cruel life, it
was as if all men were at war with one another.
Hobbes' expression in his book The Leviathan
described self-sacrifice for human life. These
early philosophers are better known as ancient
realist scholars in international relations. The
like-mindedness has combined them with the
pessimistic nature of "human instincts and evil
ego." Those with the power of a king will do
tyranny to the people as long as they can hold
the power forever.
Realists reject morals and religion in political
terms. Therefore, sometimes this approach is
also known as real politics. Contemporary
realists continue to discuss security, but not
modern national security. Quoting Morgenthau,
he stated that a country is vulnerable to danger
because national leaders often think and act
following the interests of power. This interest is
also known as national interest, which aims to
increase the power of a country. Power is then
defined as material capability, namely military,
political, and economic. Realists further argued
that security could only be achieved by
maintaining force, especially military power,
even though this would lead to conflict and war.
From a realist perspective, the most important
thing is to maintain the state's survival
(Baldwin, 1993).
 Journal of Islamic World and Politics
122 | Vol. 7. No.1 June 2023
In discussing Azerbaijan's winning strategy,
the writer focused on the theory of offensive
realism. Offensive realism theory is a theory
expressed by John Mearsheimer. This theory
said that an anarchic international system forced
the state to get the highest position in the
international system. Mearsheimer revealed that
the state will continue to strive to achieve
hegemony. Hegemony is a condition where no
other country can offset the military power of a
country so that it can dominate other countries
in the international world. Mearsheimer also
argued that with the international system being
anarchic and full of uncertainty about the
motives of other countries, the best way for a
country to survive is to have as much as possible
and continue to increase its military capacity.
The military capability of a country could be a
determining factor in the survival of a country.
Furthermore, according to Mearsheimer, there
were five factors in measuring a country's
offensive behavior: an anarchic world system,
other countries' military capabilities, suspicion
and fear of other countries' capabilities,
survival, and rationality.
Mearsheimer described the international
system as a bleak world filled with states
constantly seeking hegemony, a status they
cannot attain. This continual movement towards
hegemonic ambitions eventually led countries to
enter the war. He argues that the pursuit of
power will stop only when hegemony is
achieved, which is impossible in the current
system. Offensive realism showed that great
powers were in a constant search for power. The
causal mechanism for this action is the lack of
central authority. The ultimate goal of a state is
to prevent state failure, and the only way to do
that is through the maximization of power.
Mearsheimer argues that when states have
offensive capabilities, they tend to use them
(Valeriano, 2009).
Based on several experts' explanations, the
realist paradigm is the view that states live in an
anarchic world and no system regulates it, thus
making them compete to increase their strength
and power to ensure their country's security.
Meanwhile, offensive realism means countries
try to achieve hegemony in this anarchic world
by increasing their military power.
In this offensive realism, Azerbaijan
believed that to be secure, the state must build
up its armed forces for national security to
defend the country's borders from enemy
military threats. In the case of the dispute over
territory between Azerbaijan and Armenia,
Azerbaijan was trying to defend the Nagorno-
Karabakh region, which they believe is part of
their territory, by strengthening their military to
gain full control over the Nagorno-Karabakh
region.
The authors used qualitative methods with
data collection techniques through Library
Research in this study. Where the data collected
is secondary data sourced from libraries,
journals, articles, print media, electronic media,
and websites. Furthermore, the descriptive
method is another method that the author will
use to help answer the formulation of the
problem in this paper. This method clearly
described the strategy used by the Azerbaijani
side in winning the conflict over the Nagorno-
Karabakh region against Armenia in 2020. The
data that has been obtained through qualitative
methods will be classified, summarized,
analyzed, and concluded to be able to describe
the conditions related to the issues involved
previously described.
Result and Discussion
Some of the existing literature has succeeded
in providing a detailed description of the history
and detailed conditions of the conflict over
territory between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
However, none of those studies have
specifically analyzed the strategies
implemented by Azerbaijan, which ultimately
won its victory over its conflict with Armenia.
So that the following research will conduct an
in-depth exploration of the things that have led
Azerbaijan to victory using the theory of
offensive realism.
44-Day of War
For decades efforts to reconcile Azerbaijan
and Armenia have been made, such as
mediation efforts. However, the results of the
mediation meeting have not produced results, so
before 2020 the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict can
be said to be a frozen conflict because peace
efforts are difficult even though various parties
have intervened to find the best solution to this
conflict (Wibawa & Firawati, 2016). Until
September 2020, Azerbaijan survived the 44-

Azerbaijan's Strategy to Win the Conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh Territory with Armenia in 2020
day war against Armenia, bringing its country to
victory. This 44-day war is also known as the
Second Nagorno-Karabakh War (Mirovalev,
2020). The 44-day war took place from
September 27 to November 10, 2020. This war
was a major escalation of the unresolved
conflict between the two countries in the region.
Fighting began on the morning of September 27,
with the Azerbaijani offensive along the contact
lines that followed the First Nagorno-Karabakh
War. Clashes were especially intense in the less
mountainous districts south of Nagorno-
Karabakh. Türkiye is said to have provided
military support to Azerbaijan in this attack.
Drones, sensors, long-range heavy artillery and
missile attacks, state propaganda, and official
social media accounts in online information
warfare characterize this war. In particular, the
widespread use of Azerbaijani drones is seen as
important in determining the outcome of the
conflict. However, on the other hand, many
countries and the United Nations strongly
condemned the fighting and called on both sides
to reduce tensions and continue negotiations
(Kofman, 2020). However, neither Azerbaijan
nor Armenia paid attention to this request and
continued launching attacks against each other.
Subsequently, the war was again marked by
an Azerbaijani ground offensive that included
armored formations supported by artillery and
drones, including loitering ammunition.
Armenian and Nagorno-Karabakh troops were
forced back from their first line of defense in the
southeastern and northern areas of Nagorno-
Karabakh. However, they inflicted significant
losses on Azerbaijani armored formations with
guided missiles and anti-tank artillery,
destroying dozens of vehicles. Azerbaijan
heavily used drones in attacks against Armenian
air defenses, turning off 13 short-range surface-
to-air missile systems (Cheterian, 2022).
Azerbaijani troops used drones to isolate and
destroy Armenian positions systematically.
Reconnaissance drones would locate frontline
military positions and reserve troop
deployments, after which they would be shelled
along with roads and bridges that reserves could
use to reach those positions. Once the Armenian
positions are extensively shelled and removed
from reinforcements, Azerbaijan will move with
superior force to seize them. This tactic was
repeatedly used to gradually overrun Armenian
Maretha Syawallin Umarach and Ali Muhammad
| 123
positions (Gressel, 2020). Azerbaijani forces
gained limited gains in the south in the first three
days of the conflict. Over the next three days,
the two sides exchanged fire from fixed
positions. To the north, Armenian forces
counterattacked, managing to retake some
territory. Their biggest counterattack occurred
on the fourth day. However, at the same time,
the Armenians also suffered heavy losses when
their armored and artillery units were hit by
Azerbaijani attacking drones (Kofman &
Nersisyan, 2020).
On November 9, 2020, following the
occupation of Shusha by Azerbaijan, a ceasefire
agreement was signed by the President of
Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, the Prime Minister of
Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, and the President of
Russia, Vladimir Putin, ending all hostilities in
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone from
November 10, 2020, 00:00 Moscow time. The
President of Nagorno-Karabakh, Arayik
Harutyunyan, also agreed to end hostilities.
Related to this, Ilham Aliyev also confirmed it
through a speech broadcast on television on the
same day. Aliyev conveyed a sense of pride and
happiness for the liberation of Shusha from the
Armenians (Iswara, 2020). Times after the
broadcast of the speech, on November 10, 2020,
to be precise, Nikol Pashinyan also opened his
voice in public. Via his official Facebook page,
Pashinyan wrote that he had signed an
agreement with the President of Azerbaijan and
Russia. He also added that the decision that had
been taken was painful not only for him but also
for the entire Armenian people. According to
Pashinyan, the decision was taken after an in-
depth analysis of the situation faced by the
military at that time. He further explained that
the truce was the best solution for his people,
even though it was painful. The statement made
by Pashinyan officially ended the war between
Armenia and Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh
(Utomo, 2020).
The Analysis of Azerbaijan's Strategy to Win
the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict against
Armenia
From the perspective of offensive realism,
the state is constantly trying to increase its
military power to achieve hegemony. This view
is in line with the strategy adopted by
Azerbaijan against Armenia. Azerbaijan
 Journal of Islamic World and Politics
124 | Vol. 7. No.1 June 2023

maintains diplomacy with several countries, Azerbaijan's Diplomacy with Türkiye

such as Israel, Türkiye and Russia, to strengthen
Apart from Israel, Türkiye also plays a vital
its military forces.
role in the South Caucasus region. Türkiye
Azerbaijan's diplomacy with Israel maintains good relations with Azerbaijan, and
Azerbaijan is Türkiye's only and most reliable
Two decades of relations between
partner. But on the other hand, the Nagorno-
Azerbaijan and Israel have proven that the ties
Karabakh conflict is a security threat to Türkiye
between the two countries have strong
as a country receiving oil and gas supplies from
pragmatic roots because, despite the rapidly
Azerbaijan. The reason for energy security
changing geopolitical conditions of the region,
affected by the conflict over the Nagorno-
the relations between the two countries have
Karabakh region is Türkiye's reason for
developed and become stronger than before
supporting Azerbaijan in the conflict (Kinik &
(Ismayilov, 2015). When the first contacts were
Çelik, 2021). The first military support can be
established in 1992, no one could have foreseen
seen from the data on the increase in sales of
how Azerbaijan and Israel relations would
Türkiye's high-tech military to Azerbaijan.
quickly develop into a strong strategic
Based on information reported by Reuters in
partnership which today includes intense
2020, there has been an increase in Türkiye's
cooperation in the intelligence and economic
military exports to its ally Azerbaijan. This
fields (Souleimanov, Ehrmann, & Aliyev,
export data increased sixfold in 2020. Sales of
2014). The rapid development of Azerbaijan-
drones and other military equipment worth USD
Israel relations into a partnership in a very short
77 million were sent by Türkiye to Azerbaijan a
time can only be explained by the presence of
month before the fighting began in Nagorno-
strong ties between both parties. The reason
Karabakh. Türkiye's arms sales to Azerbaijan
behind the partnership is usually linked to the
jumped from 278,880 USD in July 2020 to 36
issue of national security and the
million USD in August and 77.1 million USD in
interdependence of Azerbaijan and Israel.
September. The increase in arms purchases saw
Economic interdependence is based on the
Azerbaijan jump to the top of Türkiye's list of
different needs of the two countries, which
arms buyers, followed by Oman and the United
match each other. Israel's interests are focused
States with USD 63 million each. The weapons
on importing oil and natural gas from
purchases include the state-of-the-art armed
Azerbaijan. At the same time, Azerbaijan aims
drone, the Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2. The
to achieve the transfer of military, industrial and
Turkish export assembly released data that,
agricultural technology and expertise from
when added up, in the first nine months of 2020,
Israel in addition to directly buying high-tech
Azerbaijan purchased defense and aviation
military equipment to build a strong and modern
equipment with a total value of 123 million USD
Azerbaijani army that can tip Azerbaijan in its
from Türkiye. This amount even reached USD
long conflict with Armenia. Israel's high
256 million in November 2020. This amount is
technology and weapons quality convinced
much increased compared to Türkiye's military
Azerbaijan's policymakers of the benefits of
exports to Azerbaijan in the first nine months of
strategic ties with Israel (Parsi, 2005). Since the
2019, which only reached USD 20.7 million
mid-1990s, Israel has reportedly sold surface-
(Middle East Monitor, 2020). Türkiye's military
to-air missiles, rocket launchers, military
support also includes providing training and
communications equipment, drones and
military tactics to Azerbaijan. Military exercises
military satellites and upgraded Azerbaijan's
involving ground troops were held from August
Soviet-made T-72 tank capabilities. In February
1 to 5 in Baku and Nakhchivan, while exercises
2012, Israeli officials confirmed a new arms
involving military aviation were held on July 29
deal between Israel and Azerbaijan worth $1.6
and August 10 in Baku, Nakhchivan, Ganja,
billion, including anti-aircraft, missile defense
Kurdamir and Yevlakh. According to The
systems and drones. In early 2012, an Israeli-
Jamestown Foundation, he also mentioned that
Azerbaijani joint venture established in
the military exercises between Türkiye and
Azerbaijan began producing drones for military
Azerbaijan within 2 weeks were the largest in
use (Göksel, 2015).

Azerbaijan's Strategy to Win the Conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh Territory with Armenia in 2020
the history of Azerbaijan and Türkiye's military
cooperation. Türkiye also left two F-16 fighter
jets in Ganja, Azerbaijan (Huseynov, 2020).
Azerbaijan's diplomacy with Russia
Although they are known to support
Armenia, relations between Russia and
Azerbaijan have not always been bad. The end
of 2019, for example, saw an increase in
diplomatic activity between Azerbaijan and
Russia when it was seen that Russia wanted to
strengthen its profile in Azerbaijan and bring the
country closer to the multilateral initiatives
promoted by Russia due to Azerbaijan's
growing geopolitical importance to the West
and China, being a key participant in the
Southern Gas Corridor and an important
candidate in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
Russia also wants Azerbaijan to offset its
traditional South Caucasus ally, Armenia, while
Azerbaijan expects Russia's assistance resolving
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict (Konarzewska,
2020). Even in the last few years before 2015,
Russia-Azerbaijan relations generally improved
thanks to intensive political dialogue and the
growth of bilateral trade.
Although Russia claims to be the main
Maretha Syawallin Umarach and Ali Muhammad
| 125
mediator in the conflict between the
twocountries, in 2011–2020, apart from
supporting 94 percent of the main arms exports
to Armenia, Russia is also the exporting country
of 60 percent of the main arms imports to
Azerbaijan. Russia's supply of military
equipment to Azerbaijan includes armored
vehicles, air defense systems, transport and
combat helicopters, artillery, multiple rocket
launchers and tanks. These weapons were used
during the 2020 war over Nagorno-Karabakh
(Strategic Comments, 2010). For example, there
are reports that several Russian-supplied
Azerbaijani armored vehicles were damaged or
destroyed by Armenian anti-tank missile
systems and Russian-supplied artillery. Russia
supplied several Smerch rocket launchers in
2013, and it was reported that Azerbaijan used
Smerch rockets to attack populated targets in
Nagorno-Karabakh in 2020 (Wezeman,
Kuimova, & Smith, 2021).
Through the diplomacy it carries out with the
countries previously described, Azerbaijan
gains a much more stable military power than its
rival, Armenia. The data obtained from Al
Jazeera in 2020 reported that the combat
equipment owned by Azerbaijan is more than
the combat equipment belonging to Armenia.

The data has been summarized in Table 1.

Types of military combat
Azerbaijan Armenia
equipment
Tanks 665 529
Armored vehicles 1.637 1.000
Total artillery 740 293
Self-propelled artillery 237 38
Rocket artillery 196 105
Total number of vessels 31 -
Frigates 1 -
Submarines 4 -
Total number of aircraft 127 65
Fighter aircraft 5 -
Attack aircraft 11 13
Table 1. The comparison of the combat equipment owned by Azerbaijan and Armenia.
Source: (Keddie, 2020).

Conclusion incorporated Nagorno-Karabakh into

Azerbaijan, the international community
From the previous explanation, the conflict
officially recognized this region as part of
over the Nagorno-Karabakh region is one of the
Azerbaijan. Its Russian name, Nagorny
oldest conflicts in the world. Starting in 1921,
Karabakh, knew it. However, for the Armenian
when the Soviet Union Government
people and the Armenian population inhabiting
 Journal of Islamic World and Politics
126 | Vol. 7. No.1 June 2023
this region, Nagorno-Karabakh is an
independent region that has been outside the
control of Azerbaijan. The conflict between the
two countries has yet to end in the following
years. The two countries continue to attack each
other to control the Nagorno-Karabakh region,
which they believe is part of their territory. Until
the end of 2020, the two countries were fighting
again in a war known as the 44-day war. During
that war, Azerbaijan succeeded in fighting the
opposing side, namely Armenia, and controlled
most of the Nagorno-Karabakh region. In this
study, the strategy used by Azerbaijan to win the
conflict is analyzed using the offensive realism
paradigm. Offensive realism explains that to
become a hegemon state. The state will continue
to strive to strengthen its military. In this regard,
Azerbaijan has a diplomatic strategy with other
countries such as Israel, Türkiye and Russia.
From the diplomatic relations that were
successfully established, Azerbaijan received
military assistance in sophisticated and qualified
weapons and military training to strengthen its
forces.
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