Autumn 1999 (7.3) Mammad Amin Rasulzade Founding Father of the
First Republic by Rais Rasulzade, his grandson Political
visionary Mammad Amin Rasulzade (1884-1955), who headed the
Musavat Party,helped to set up the first independent government
of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (ADR) in May 1918. But the
turmoil of the times proved too much for Rasulzade's young
government. On April 25, 1920, Bolshevik troops crossed into
Azerbaijan and entered Baku on April 28. They demanded the
resignation of Azerbaijan's Parliament and set up their own
government. The fledging democracy-only in its 23rd month-
collapsed immediately. Photo: Mammad Amin Rasulzade in his youth
(right) among social Democrats Mashadi Azizbeyov (left) and
Nariman Narimanov (second from left). Around 1904-1905.
Rasulzade, like many other distinguished personalities of the
pre-Soviet period, ended up spending the rest of his life in
exile. Here are the highlights of what happened as told by his
grandson Rais Rasulzade, with details and anecdotes