Armenian Migrations to the South Caucasus in the Second Half of the 20th Century and Its Consequences

Abstract

In the second half of the twentieth century, Armenian migration to the South Caucasus became a key factor influencing the region’s demographic and political development. Officially presented by Soviet authorities as a humanitarian “repatriation” initiative, this policy primarily pursued strategic objectives aimed at reshaping the ethnic structure of the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic. Between 1946 and 1948, large numbers of Armenians were resettled from abroad to Soviet Armenia, a process that coincided with the forced displacement of the Azerbaijani population from their historical territories.

These population movements significantly disrupted the ethnic balance of the South Caucasus and weakened long-standing traditions of multicultural coexistence. Over time, Armenia developed into a largely monoethnic republic, while Azerbaijan encountered serious social, economic, and humanitarian challenges related to the accommodation and integration of displaced communities. Furthermore, the long-term consequences of these demographic policies contributed to growing political tensions in the region. The escalation of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in the late 1980s can be interpreted as an outcome of these sustained ethno-demographic transformations, which ultimately undermined regional stability and interethnic relations.