(5) Both episodes were influenced by the events taking place north of the Araxes River: the foundation of the independent Azerbaijani Democratic Republic (ADR) in 1918 and, the invasion in 1945 by the Soviet army followed by--as developments in Ukraine and Belorussia had foreshadowed--the attachment of South Azerbaijan to the Azerbaijani Soviet Socialist Republic (SSR).
In light of the still unresolved conflict with Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, it is clear that the Azerbaijani government chose to play a nationalistic tune to unite the nation, and this has affected the consciousness of Azerbaijanis residing to the south of the Araxes River.
These services were particularly needed in 1991-92; nonetheless, in the opinion of Abdallah Ramezanzade, Iran mobilized its efforts only after Armenian troops reached the Azerbaijani-Iranian border at the Araxes. Their further advance to the east might have caused not only a tremendous flow of refugees across the river, but even the collapse of the Azerbaijani state.
In the "Sixiesme Fable du Fleuve Araxe," for instance, the grief-stricken king of Armenia becomes the araxa plant only after throwing himself into the waters bearing his name: "Into the river bearing his name, beyond hope he threw himself: I Turned into the araxa plant..
Instead, his metamorphoses most often effect either a salvation (fable 1: Clytorie; fable 3: Selemne; fable 8: Narcisse, etc.) or a just punishment (fable 5: Phasis; fable 6: Araxe; fable 7: Inde, etc.); and in all instances they serve t o benefit the greater good of humanity.
For two days, Hymat and the other villagers waited on the Iranian bank of the
Araxes, hoping that the Armenians would leave their village.
The only land connection Armenia has with the outside world is through Georgia and (theoretically) Iran across the Araxes via impassable mountains, while its only link with Karabakh is the narrow Lachin pass through the mountain range that separates Azerbaijan from Armenia.
To the south, Armenian forces took in August 1993 four more Azeri towns: Kubatly, Fizuli, Jebrail and Zangelan, adjacent to Nagorno-Karabakh, and reached the river Araxes along the Iranian border by October 1993, displacing the local Azeri population.
In view of the disorderly Azeri retreat, Turkey deployed troops along its border with Armenia in September 1993 and issued a warning to Erevan to desist from invading the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic sandwiched between Armenia and Iran along the Araxes river.
This shading ran across the Daedalia desert, cutting across the path of classical (but invisible)
Araxes. It continued west into a faint band of shading north of Mare Sirenum/ Mare Cimmerium, which has been noted in several previous apparitions.
In contrast to Russia, the basin's major navy power, Iran has the strongest and most experienced land force in the region and has conducted a number of army manoeuvres along the frontier with Azerbaijan, its historic province lost to the Russian Empire in the wars of 1814-1828, which it might resort to invade across the river
Araxes if the settlement of the delimitation dispute necessitates military action.
