ARMENIA | One Year after the War

In October and November 2020, Armenia and Azerbaijan went to war over Nagorno-Karabakh - a region more usually known in Armenia as Artsakh. After 44 days, Russia brokered a ceasefire that brought an end to fighting; but not before Azerbaijani forces had managed to retake a large amount of territory that had previously been under Armenian control. So, one year after the war, how do people in Armenia view the conflict? And where do they see things going in future?

Hello and welcome! My name is James Ker-Lindsay. Here I take an informed look at International Relations with a focus on territorial conflicts, secession, independence movements and new countries. If you like what you see, please do subscribe. If you want more, including exclusive content and benefits, consider becoming a channel member. Many thanks!

As the Soviet Union collapsed, the predominantly Armenian-inhabited territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, an autonomous province of Azerbaijan, declared independence. This in turn led to a bitter war between Armenia and Azerbaijan that saw Armenian troops take control of almost 15 percent of Azerbaijan's territory. In the years that followed, unsuccessful efforts were made to broker a settlement between to two countries. As a result, the dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh came to be seen as a 'frozen conflict'. However, in reality it was anything but frozen. Many observers expected a new war to emerge as Azerbaijan increased its military spending. In the end, full-scale fighting broke out in late-2020. Over the course of six weeks, Azerbaijani forces, acting with support from Turkey and Israel, retook large parts of the Armenian-held territory before Russia stepped in and brokered a ceasefire between the sides and placed Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh. By all accounts, the war was a major defeat for Armenia. But one year on from the conflict, how do people in Armenia view the situation. This video, which was filmed in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, takes a look at the conflict and its aftermath.

CHAPTERS
0:00 Introduction and Titles
0:37 The 2020 War over Nagorno-Karabakh
1:34 Background to Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict
3:29 Was Armenia Ready for the 2020 War?
4:42 Why did Armenia Lose the 2020 War?
5:50 Outside Actors in the 2020 Armenia-Azerbaijan War
7:25 The Effects of the 2020 War on Armenia
8:23 The Future of Nagorno-Karabakh
10:20 Armenia's Perspective on the 2020 War

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KEYWORDS

#Armenia #Azerbaijan #NagornoKarabakh
#InternationalPolitics #CurrentAffairs #InternationalRelations
#Secession #Statehood #Independence #Conflict #War

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[JamesKerLindsay]

Something very different this week! This is my very first attempt at a location video. I'd be really keen to hear what you think. Overall, it was an absolutely fascinating experience to visit Armenia, especially in the aftermath of the 2020 war. So, how do you see things evolving between the two countries in the years ahead. Is a peaceful settlement possible?

[nabilalhami]

So, field reporting is the new form of experimentation for this channel. Hope you can do more of these field reporting.

[nurlanshikhaliyev]

Last sentence of the video "this is the country that lives in the denial about what happened".
Armenia denied international law for many years, and now also denies reality.

[TheLocalLt]

Wow your decision to go on location has definitely taken your channel to the next level. The style of video is fantastic, framed in the serious tone in which it should be, while giving us a bit of local flavor as well, presenting the local point of view while all the while remaining neutral. Your style is very much the style of Peter Jennings’ on-location geopolitical documentaries, both those that I grew up watching and those older ones I watched later on the internet, along with other older geopolitical documentaries from that 1980s-early 2000s era which I’ve later watched, such as those from Thames TV or PBS. This is is sharp contrast to the virtual propaganda which sadly almost all on-location geopolitical reporting devolves into today, even from mainstream outlets never mind internet ones. This channel has always been a breath of sanity, in a field in which it is needed badly, especially on the internet, and this fantastic on-location documentary adds even more credibility to that position of genuity.

[veyselturan]

"Armenians are people living in a state of denial", this one phrase describes those ppl, living in parallel world created by themselves.

[akifa]

As an Azerbaijani I understand Armenian people are upset, but we won’t forget the 28 years that we went through after our defeat. Also, the Karabakh region is within Azerbaijan, keep that in mind.

[abdiaha]

Would you consider interviewing either ordinary citizens or even policymakers in matters of international diplomacy/constitutional law in your future on field videos like this one James?

[OhMaDayzz]

11:08 "There is a belief this isn't the end of the story. Artsakh remains Armenian." This is probably true, just because that area has repeatedly been sacked and cleansed of its Armenian population. Shushi has gone from being held by Armenians to Azeris several times over just in 200 years. Armenians are lucky to still hold a significant part of Artsakh while inflicting heavy casualties on the Azeris, and in many ways the Azeris lost a lot harder in the 1990s than Armenians did last year.

[mirandapillsbury]

The romanticization of an occupying force is shameful James. As mentioned, Armenia not only took control of Karabakh but of ALL the land surrounding it. Not just a corridor to connect it to Karabakh, no. But entire massive swaths of land around it that were decisively Azeri majority yet you do not mention that really at all...just casually bring it up as if it those lands too were part of Karabakh or Armenian majority. Why do all your videos have a civilizational tone to them. A "christian state above everything else" type of tone. Never an inkling on trying to humanize the usually Muslim side. Whether it be Cyprus or Karabakh etc... Really frustrating and disapointing.

[arammartirosyan]

Really loved the field reporting from the city and the details of life you highlighted! You captured an impressive amount of nuance and perspective regarding the war, the prominent views among Armenians, and the lingering questions moving forward. As an Armenian myself, I truly appreciate this

[samuelqorqmax]

We would now like to see from Baku the Azerbaijani perspective about the development of this war and what it feels like for them after regaining Nagorno-Karabach after 30 years and after many failed peacekeeping resolutions on international politics.

[Natchke_V.]

Our brother and sisters Armenians, I’m georgian Christian and I know what kind of pain you have, no one knows and feels your pain better than Georgians, we have been living in this region for centuries and have always been brothers and sisters, I wish you all the best my Christian brothers, I hope that we will be able to support each other against our Common enemies🇬🇪🇬🇪🇬🇪🇦🇲🇦🇲🇦🇲 ✝️✝️✝️✝️✝️✝️

[travelmentaryTV]

As for the Russian role, Russia used this war to "punish" the Armenian government for the fact that before the conflict they established a somewhat pro-Western approach. That way, they showed Armenians their narrative: "The West won't help you - and we won't either, if you don't stick to our block." In addition to that, Russia has strong business ties with Azerbaijan. Let's not forget that Azerbaijan is not just any country, but a former member of the Soviet Union.

[Asamations]

Another excellent video James.


I really loved that you visited Armenia to highlight what the general mood is about such a sensitive topic as a lost war. Very well made video. I hope you make more on location videos like this one!

[honazairsoft]

The phrase ''Armenia and Azerbaijan went to war'' is inaccurate. Karabagh is internationally recognized as a part of Azerbaijan. Even Armenia itself doesn't recognize the so called ''Republic of Artsakh''. What really happened is Azerbaijan made an operation it it's own lands to clear a hostile occupation.

[elguntarverdiyev]

Talk about the surrender of Yerevan to the Armenians by Azerbaijan in 1918. Talk about the forcible capture of Zangazur from Azerbaijan in 1920. You are talking about foreign aid to Azerbaijan in the war 😂😂 There is a military force, a military difference. population between our countries. Go tell your tales to Armenians!

[salamikroket]

I don't think it's smart to think artsakh is coming back. it hadn't been resolved for 30 years. it didn't work that way. The counterparty will never agree because it is internationally regarded as Azerbaijan

[hakikarajcic]

Armenia started conflict the first. It' s the fact.

[TheSpiritof]

I feel like the "outside help is the only reason we lost the war" line is common to pretty much every people that lose a war nowadays, it's a coping mechanism that nationalists use even when their country also got outside ""help"" like Armenia getting Russian weapons for dirt cheap for years or Arabs getting help from the Soviets against Israel.

[_Fruzhin_]

Long life Armenia🇦🇲🙏🏻 Regards from Bulgaria🇧🇬