page_title: Battle of Goychay
section_title: Second assault
hierarchical_section_title: Battle of Goychay / Second assault
caption_attribution_description: English: soldiers of the army of ADR (Azerbaijan Demokratic Republic)
context_page_description: The Battle of Goychay or Raid on Goychay, was a series of clashes that took place from 27 June to 1 July 1918, between Ottoman–Azerbaijani coalition forces led by Nuri Pasha and a coalition of the Soviet 11th Army and Armenian Dashnak forces. The initial battle ended on 30 June, but minor clashes continued until 1 July. Despite being outnumbered six to one, the Central Powers were able to defeat the Armenian–Soviet forces before they reached Ganja, the headquarters of the Ottoman Islamic Army of the Caucasus. The Ottoman–Azerbaijani forces seized control of the lands from Goychay to Shamakhi. Armenian–Soviet rule in the region ended as a result of the battle.
context_section_description: After this defeat, Nuru Pasha, commander of a force consisting of Azerbaijanis Ali-Agha Shikhlinsky and 5th Caucasus Infantry Division chief of staff Rüştü Bey, left Ganja and arrived at Myusyuslyu Station on 18 June. There, they met with the chief of staff of the Islamic Army of the Caucasus, Nazım Bey, and commanders of the 29th Regiment in Veysalli and discussed the status of the war. Then, Nuru Pasha and few other high-ranking generals moved to Goychay, where they met with the commander of the 10th Caucasian Infantry Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel Topal Osman, and again discussed the state of the war.
  According to reports, Bolshevik Red Army forces had burnt down more than 50 villages on the road between Baku and Garamaryam. They massacred many of the Azerbaijanis living in those villages. Those able to escape sought refuge in Goychay and surrounding settlements. The number of refugees from Shamakhi, Ismailly and surrounding settlements surpassed 400,000.
  Red Army forces were able to recruit Armenians and Russians from surrounding villages and gather an army of 30,000 men. An attack on the Bolsheviks by the 5th Caucasian Infantry Division alone would have been suicidal.
  Nuru Pasha thought thousands of Azerbaijanis would join the Islamic Army of the Caucasus after their formation, but he was wrong. The few thousand militia that joined the army did not gave Nuru Pasha the help he wanted. He went to Goychay and expressed his disappointment to the public in a speech given in the town centre. In his speech, he explained that: "The Ottoman Empire, sent soldiers to Caucasus from their homeland to liberate their Azerbaijani brothers and other Turks living in the region from the enemy's oppression". He stressed the importance of "everyone joining the army voluntarily and serving with great spirit". He also said:
  Many of our soldiers fighting in this fierce warmth died of dehydration. Since you're not joining the army, at least you have to help by carrying food and water for these soldiers.
  — Nuri Kiligil, 
  Nuru Pasha met and discussed with Azerbaijani intellectuals and elders in the Geokchaysky Uyezd. He was able to obtain their support, which resulted in more people joining the army. Many teenagers and adults from Goychay, Aghdash, Yevlakh and even Barda arrived at the front line to receive military training.
  Nuru Pasha had asked Eastern Army Group officers to send two important reports to Istanbul. The first report was sent on 27 June, while the second was sent on 1 July. According to these reports, the Bolsheviks were gaining power in the Caucasus, and the Azerbaijanis could not form a major force for the army. It was concluded that 5th Caucasian Infantry Division could not operate in the region. In the reports, Nuru Pasha stated that "the newly formed Caucasian Islamic Army cannot achieve success from its activities. We expected that at least 30 thousand Turks [Azeris] in here would join the army. Whereas the number of recruits is 37. Under these circumstances, to solve the Baku question, the arrival of another division would be appropriate. Muslims [Azeris] here talk much, but work less. They are coarse and greedy people. We see little to no help and selflessness from them. To ensure the liberation of Azerbaijan and Baku under these circumstances, it has become very essential for the Ottoman State to protect its faith among the people. The 5th Division needs urgent support. Otherwise, our situation would not be good at all".
  The frontline between Ottoman–Azerbaijani and Red Army forces was at a stalemate. Nuru Pasha feared imminent defeat. He knew the Entente was going to launch more attacks on the Ottomans, which would result in the army not sending additional men to the Caucasus. He sent a letter to the commander of the 5th Caucasian Infantry Division, Mürsel Bey. In the letter, Nuru Pasha stated the troops would move to the lines on 23–24 June and an assault was expected to launch on 27–28 June.
  During the preparations, Bolshevik spies passed along crucial information to the Red Army. The Bolsheviks launched an assault
caption: Soldiers of the Azerbaijani Democratic Republic, c. 1918.