Ministry of Defence (Azerbaijan)

The first minister of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic was General Khosrov bey Sultanov, who was appointed the Minister of the first Government on 28 May 1918. In accordance with Action Plan approved by Parliament on formation of the army, important structures and divisions were to be established by November 1, 1919. Within the time given, artillery division, two infantry divisions consisting of three regiments, special telegraph, cavalry and machine gun platoons, railway battalions were to be created. Another priority of the government of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic was to establish Ministry of Defense. No minister of defense portfolio was officially instituted. But Khosrov bey Sultanov assumed the duties of the minister from May 28 through June 11, 1918. The Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic was established by a decision made on 23 October 1918. The decision was formalized on November 7 of the current year. After formalization of the decision Fatali-khan Khoyski was appointed the minister of defense. On December 26, 1918 Lieutenant General of the Russian Artillery Samad-bey Mehmandarov, took the office. Lieutenant General Aliagha Shikhlinski appointed his deputy and Lieutenant General Suleyman Shulkevitch as the Chief of the General Staff. As the Ministry of Defense was officially dissolved in the wake of Azerbaijan's Sovietization in 1920, their functions were delegated to the People's Military Commissariat, and the Bolsheviks executed 15 of the 21 Army Generals of Azerbaijan. The newly-formed Azerbaijani Red Army replaced the previous army during the Russian Civil War.^[2][3]

In the midst of dissolution of Soviet Union and political turmoil in Azerbaijan in late 1980s, Azerbaijani military played an important role in the struggle for and retaining power.

The Ministry of Defense was established on September 5, 1991, following a resolution by the High Council of Azerbaijan SSR. One month later, on October 9 of the same year, the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan was established.

• Minister of Defense: Colonel General Zakir Hasanov
• Chief of the General Staff – First Deputy Minister of Defence: Lieutenant General Karim Valiyev
• Deputy Minister of Defence – Commander of the Combined Arms Army: Colonel General Kerem Mustafayev
• Deputy Minister of Defence – Chief of Main Department for Personnel: Lieutenant General Karim Valiyev
• Acting Deputy Minister of Defense for Logistics – Chief of the Main Department of Logistics: Lieutenant General Nizam Osmanov
• Deputy Minister of Defence – Commander of the Air Force: Lieutenant General Ramiz Tahirov
• Deputy Minister of Defense – Commander of the Land Forces: Lieutenant General Hikmat Mirzayev

The ministry has the following structure:^[4]

• Central Command Post
• Main Department of Personnel
  • Office for Women and Families of Servicemen
  • Military Band Service^[5]
• Main Department of Logistics
• Main Department of Combat Training and Military Education
• Main Medical Department
• Organization and Mobilization Department
• Department of Staff
• Department for Ideological Work and Moral-Psychological Support
• Legal Department
• Department of Finance and Budget
• Department of Affairs
• Department for Municipal Services
• Department for Defence Procurement and Equipment
• Baku Garrison
• Military Police
• Institutions
  • "Azərbaycan Ordusu" newspaper
  • Central Clinical Hospital
  • Research Center
  • Center for Documentary and Educational Films of the Azerbaijan Army
  • Military Scientific Center
  • Center for War Games of the Armed Forces
  • Army Ideological and Cultural Center named after Hazi Aslanov
    • Song and Dance Ensemble
  • Ideological and Cultural Center of the Ganja Garrison
  • Azerbaijan Military History Museum
  • MOIK Baku

• Military academies^[6]
  • War College of the Armed Forces
  • Training and Education Center of the Armed Forces
  • Azerbaijan Higher Military Academy
    • Azerbaijan Higher Naval Academy (former independent institution)
    • Azerbaijan High Military Aviation School (former independent institution)
• Other educational institutions
  • Secondary Military Medical School of Azerbaijan
  • Military Medical Faculty of Azerbaijan Medical University
• Military lyceums
  • Jamshid Nakhchivanski Military Lyceum
  • Heydar Aliyev Military Lyceum

Military education system in Ministry of Defense is composed of educational institutions specialized on military and other relevant agencies that mainly focus on training and building a qualified and patriotic staff who is expected to implement the duties and tasks of armed forces and at the same time having adequate knowledge based on education standards of the country for guaranteeing the defense and security of Azerbaijan.^[6]

The main directions of international military cooperation:

• Bilateral and multilateral cooperation with the countries in the region and outside the region;
• Cooperation with the Euro-Atlantic structures;
• Cooperation with international organizations and defense-industrial complexes of foreign countries;
• Cooperation on military, military-political and military-technical for improving military security system;
• Study new programs and mechanisms
• Broadening the participation in inspection activities set out under the Vienna Document 2011 "On Confidence and Security-Building Measures" and to the Treaty 1990 "On Conventional Armed Forces in Europe" (CFE);
• Expanding the activities related to the crisis prevention and armed conflicts management, as well as resolution and elimination of their consequences, with a focus on conflicting efforts to combat international terrorism, the proliferation of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction, their components and vehicles, modern global challenges and threats arising from military operations;
• Broadening the scope of activities related to the fulfilment of commitments and obligations arising out of the cooperation with international organizations and military organizations of foreign countries in the area of international military cooperation;
• Providing more effective training for military personnel and units, whose participation in peacekeeping operations are planned, the study of international experience and application capabilities to contribute to improvement of the level of combat training and its compatibility.

The Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaijan supports the Office of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office to conduct a ceasefire monitoring exercises on the Line of Confrontation of the armed forces of Armenia and Azerbaijan as well as on the state border.

The Republic of Azerbaijan joined the NATO-led "Partnership for Peace" (PFP) programme on May 4, 1994, the NATO Planning and Review Process (PARP) in 1996. Azerbaijan joined the NATO military training and education program aimed at improving the school of sergeants in the Armed Forces of the Republic of Azerbaijan, training programs for junior officers and the inclusion of the subject "Strategy and Defense Planning" in the educational program of the Academy of Armed Forces as a new module. Azerbaijan has become a good partner at NATO-led operations in Kosova and Afghanistan and still contributes to Alliance’s mission in Afghanistan by deploying its peacekeeping forces in this country. Furthermore, on NATO advice, Azerbaijan developed strategic documents on defense and security, as well as, made improvements in this direction. Besides this, NATO and Azerbaijan cooperate on reorganizing units in accordance with NATO standards and on developing control and command capabilities of every armed service.

Cooperation between the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaijan and International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) covers the issues of providing educational materials on the International Humanitarian Law (IHL) for the Armed Forces of the Republic of Azerbaijan, delivering lectures on IHL in the Military Academy of the Armed Forces, conducting trainings and seminars on IHL for the servicemen, ensuring their participation in regional and international courses, monitors the civilian population’s living conditions in the areas near the Line of Confrontation (LOC) of the armed forces of Armenia and Azerbaijan, through the visits to these places, creation conditions for agricultural activities of civilian population living near the Line of Confrontation of the armed forces of the Armenia and Azerbaijan through launching of some social oriented projects, cooperation in arranging and conducting humanitarian assistance.

№	President		Term of office			Political party	Government	Elected	Ref
	Portrait	Name	Took office	Left office	Days
1		Khosrov bey Sultanov Xosrov bəy Sultanov (1879–1947)	27 May 1918	11 June 1918	15	Ittihad	1. Rasulzade I	1918	[7]
			Won the Battle of Baku; Established two infantry divisions consisting of three regiments, artillery division, special telegraph, cavalry and machine gun platoons, railway battalions.
2		Fatali Khan Khoyski Fətəli-xan Xoyski (1875–1920)	7 November 1918	25 December 1918	48	Independent	2. Topchubashov I	1918	[8]
3		Samad bey Mehmandarov Səməd bəy Mehmandarov (1855–1931)	25 December 1918	28 April 1920	731	Independent	3. Topchubashov I	1918	[9]
			1920 Ganja revolt; Failed to slow down the advance of 11th Red Army on Azerbaijan Democratic Republic.

People's Commissars for Military and Naval Affairs of Azerbaijan SSR

№	Chairman		Term of office			Political party	Government	Elected	Ref
	Portrait	Name	Took office	Left office	Days
1		Chingiz Ildyrym Çingiz İldırım (1890–1938)	28 April 1920	5 June 1920	38	Communist (Bolsheviks)	1. Hüseynov I	—	[10]
2		Aliheydar Garayev Aliheydar Garayev (1896–1938)	5 June 1920	20 June 1920	15	Communist (Bolsheviks)	2. Hüseynov I	—	[11]

№	President		Term of office			Political party	Government	Elected	Ref
	Portrait	Name	Took office	Left office	Days
1		Valeh Barshadly Valeh Bərşadlı (1927–1999)	5 September 1991	11 December 1991	97	Military	Mütəllibov II	1991	[12]
			During his term as Chief of Staff, Azerbaijani army has achieved successful military victories on the Karabakh front; Prevented the ammunition from being destroyed when the remaining Soviet army was pulling out of Azerbaijan in 1992.
2		Tajeddin Mehdiyev Tacəddin Mehdiyev (19??–)	11 December 1991	17 February 1992	68	Military	Mütəllibov II	1971
			Led an unsuccessful operation in Dashalty; Capture of Malibeyli and Gushchular.
–		Shahin Musayev (Acting) Şahin Musayev (19??–)	17 February 1992	24 February 1992	7	Military	–	–	[13]
			Capture of Garadaghly.
3		Tahir Aliyev Tahir Əliyev (1952–)	24 February 1992	16 March 1992	21	Military	–	1992	[14]
			Khojaly Massacre.
4		Rahim Gaziyev Rəhim Qazıyev (1943–)	17 March 1992	20 February 1993	340	Azerbaijani Popular Front Party	4. Elçibəy I	1992
			Capture of Shusha.
5		Dadash Rzayev Dadaş Rzayev (1935–2024)	20 February 1993	17 June 1993	147	Azerbaijani Popular Front Party	5. Elçibəy I	1993	[15]
			Sacked by President Abulfaz Elchibey for taking a part during skirmishes during the Ganja revolt.
–		Safar Abiyev (Acting) Səfər Əbiyev (1950–)	17 June 1993	7 August 1993	51	New Azerbaijan Party	–	–
–		Vahid Musayev (Acting) Vahid Musayev (1947–1999)	7 August 1993	25 August 1993	18	New Azerbaijan Party	–	–	[16]
			Arresting for being part of coup d'état attempt against Heydar Aliyev.
6		Mammadrafi Mammadov Məmmədrəfi Məmmədov (1942–)	2 September 1993	6 February 1995	522	New Azerbaijan Party	6. H.Əliyev II	1993	[17]
			Bishkek Protocol.
7		Safar Abiyev Səfər Əbiyev (1950–)	6 February 1995	22 October 2013	6833	New Azerbaijan Party	7. H.Əliyev II	1995	[18]
			During Abiyev's tenure as defense minister, Azerbaijan has signed military cooperation agreements with Turkey, the United States, Pakistan and others; Partnership for Peace.
8		Zakir Hasanov Zakir Həsənov (1959–)	22 October 2013		3897	New Azerbaijan Party	8. İ.Əliyev I	2013	[19]
			April War, Tovuz battles, Second Nagorno-Karabakh War

• Azerbaijani Armed Forces
• Military history of Azerbaijan
• Prime Minister of Azerbaijan
• Cabinet of Azerbaijan

• Official Website
• Azerbaijani Army being reformed according to NATO standards