Architect of national army: General Mehmandarov

By Azernews

By Vugar Khalilov

Since the Russian invasion of the South Caucasus in the early 19th century Azerbaijani people had been deprived of their rights to serve in the army or pursue a military career for a long time. Only by the end of the century, members of the local nobility were allowed to join the imperial army and attain high military ranks.

Later, the emerging Azerbaijani military elite played an exceptional role in the formation of the National Army, which officially was established on June 26, 1918. As Azerbaijan’s first Minister of War, General Samad bay Mehmandarov was one of the main architects of the national army building.

The outstanding general not only created a well-disciplined army of 40,000 but also restored and revived the nation’s centuries-old military traditions, which have been an inseparable part of its self-defence.

Early life, career

Born in Azerbaijan's Lankaran on October 16, 1855, Mehmandarov was educated in a gymnasium in Baku, and at the age of 16 entered the II Konstantinovka Artillery School in St. Petersburg.

In 1875, he received the lieutenant colonel military rank and was awarded the Order of St. Stanislav of the third degree. He was promoted to captain in 1890, lieutenant-colonel in 1898, colonel in 1901, and major general in 1904. In 1908, Mehmandarov received the full artillery general rank for his courageous services in the Russo-Japanese War.

During the First World War, he was in the direction of the Warsaw operation, where the Russian troops won a complete victory over the Germans.

National army-building process

After resigning from the Russian army, Mehmandarov came to Baku in September 1918 and started working in the Ministry of War as the first defence minister of the newly-established Azerbaijan Democratic Republic.

Under his leadership, the ensign school in Ganja, on the basis of which the first military school of Azerbaijan was organized, moved to Baku in early 1919.

The military paramedic schools in Baku, as well as a militarized railway school in Ganja were established during this period. In January 1920, a special military-oriented cadet corps was formed to prepare students for these schools.

Of course, if Azerbaijan had not been occupied by the Bolsheviks in April 1920, Mehmandarov would have been able to fully implement his plans to create a strong and organized army. Unfortunately, the April occupation left his and his friends' dreams unfulfilled.

Soviet period 

On June 3, 1920, the 64-year old artillery general was arrested for his albeit involvement in the Ganja uprising to overthrow the Bolshevik government in Azerbaijan but was released due to the lack of evidence.

After the establishment of the Soviet government, he continued his military activity and taught at the school of military commanders established in Azerbaijan in 1921-28. General Mehmandarov took an active part in the wide-ranging military reforms and events carried out in Azerbaijan in 1924-27.

He was also the chairman of the Military-Scientific Society operating in the Baku House of Officers. In 1928, the general was dismissed from the army due to ill health and was granted an individual state pension.

The colonel-general was one of the prominent personalities of his time. He was fluent in Turkish and Persian. For the last three years of his life, he studied Islamic history and philosophy. Samad bay Mehmandarov died on February 12, 1931, in Baku.

There are hundreds of archival documents, memoirs and other materials written about him by prominent personalities of his time, which testify to the large-scale activity of Mehmandarov as the military minister of the independent republic and his historical services. His contemporaries called him a unique artilleryman.

Probably, future researchers will talk about his life and deeds in more detail and thoroughly, as a great example to future generations.

The 160th anniversary of Samad bay Mehmandarov, who rendered exceptional services to Azerbaijan by writing golden pages in its military history, was solemnly celebrated in 2015.