Baku oil as a factor of the civil war in Russia (the case of south Caucasus)

Stepanov V.

The article is devoted to the analysis of the role of Baku oil as a factor of the Civil War in Russia. The author emphasizes the leading importance of oil in the energy sector of the country and the special role of oil resources of the Absheron Peninsula in economic development. The article examines the attempts of Baku Bolsheviks to ensure the delivery of oil to Central Russia, their struggle against the Musavat Party and the offensive of the Turkish army, the oil policy of the command of the British troops in South Caucasus etc. The author notes that the invasion of the Red Army of Azerbaijan and the abolition of the independent ADR were primarily caused by the desire of the Bolshevik leadership to seize the Baku oil region and the need to overcome an acute fuel crisis in Soviet Russia.

Keywords:Soviet Russia, Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, civil war, oil, fuel crisis