Secret Soviet Instructions, 'Measures to Carry out Special Assignments throughout Southern Azerbaijan and the Northern Provinces of Iran'

Strictly Secret

Measures to carry out special assignments throughout Southern Azerbaijan and the northern provinces of Iran

I. The Question of Creating the Azerbaijani Democratic Party

1. Immediately organize [the] transport of Pishevari and Kombakhsh to Baku for talks. Depending on the results of the talks keep in mind [the] transport to Baku of Padekan [sic, “Padegan” in other documents], the Chairman of the District Committee of the People's Party of Azerbaijan.

2. To create organizing committees in the center (Tabriz) and elsewhere [na mestakh], within a month select candidates from authoritative democratic elements from the intelligentsia, middle-class merchants, small and average landowners, and the clergy in various democratic parties, and also from non-party members and bring them into the organizing committees of the Azerbaijan Democratic Party.

The first priority is to create an organizing committee in Tabriz which, via the existing democratic press Khavar Nou, Azhir, Dzhodat and others, will publish an appeal to organize an Azerbaijani Democratic Party and print leaflets.

3. With the appearance of the appeal, initiative groups elsewhere will speak out in the press in its support and create Azerbaijani Democratic Party committees from the most active organizations of the People's Party and other democratic organizations and elements.

Do not permit a mechanical renaming of organizations of the People's Party to committees of the Azerbaijani Democratic Party. Recommend that the Tabriz district committee and its local organizations of the People's Party discuss the appeal of the Azerbaijani Democratic Party, decide to disband the organizations of the People's Party and enter its members in the Azerbaijani Democratic Party.

4. After establishing the organizing committee of the Azerbaijani Democratic Party in Tabriz the first priority is to create local committees of the Azerbaijani Democratic Party in the following cities: Ardebil', Rezaye, Khoy, Mianeh, Zanjan, Maraghe, Marand, Mahabad, Maku, Qazvin, Rasht, Pahlavi, Sari, Shakh, Gorgan, and Mashhad.

Send representatives of the central organizing committee to organize the committees in these cities. Systematically place positive responses and calls to join the Azerbaijani Democratic Party in the democratic press.

5. Create a press agency in the organizing committee of the Azerbaijan Democratic Party in Tabriz under the name “Voice of Azerbaijan”.

6. Organize the drafting of programs and a charter for the Tabriz organizing committee.

II. Ensuring the Election of Deputies to the 15th Convocation of the Majlis

1. Begin talks with deputies of the Majlis who are supporting them during the elections to the Majlis for this convocation with the object of nominating these deputies to the 15th Convocation under the condition that they fight for the implementation of the slogans of the Azerbaijani Democratic Party.

2. Begin work to nominate candidates for deputy to the Majlis from democratic elements who would fight for the implementation of the slogans of the Azerbaijani Democratic Party.

3. Review the list of deputies recommended by the Embassy in light of [these] new tasks.

4. Organize a broad popularization of the selected candidates for election to the Majlis in the press and their contacts [and] meetings with voters.

5. Support meetings, demonstrations, strikes, and the disbanding [razgon] of electoral commissions unsuitable for us with the objective of ensuring our interests in the elections.

6. In the process of preparing for the elections, compromise and expel from the electoral districts of northern Iran candidates nominated by reactionary circles [who are] actively operating against the candidates of the democratic movement.

7. Demand the replacement of unsuitable reactionary-minded leaders of local bodies [vlasti].

III. Creation of the “Society of Friends of Soviet Azerbaijan”

1. In the matter of organizing the “Society of Friends of Soviet Azerbaijan”, use the delegates participating in the jubilee celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Azerbaijan SSR.

2. Recruit the workers of our consulates, military commandants, and their active [Party] members into the organization of the Society.

3. The organizing group of the “Society of Friends of Soviet Azerbaijan” in Tabriz is to draw up the charter of the Society.

4. To widely attract the population to the “Society of Friends of Soviet Azerbaijan”, use the press to systematically illustrate the achievements of the economy, culture, and art of Soviet Azerbaijan and the historical friendship of the peoples of Southern Azerbaijan and the peoples of Soviet Azerbaijan.

IV. The Organization of the Separatist Movement

1. Organize work to develop a separatist movement to create: an Azerbaijani Autonomous District [and] a Kurdish Autonomous District with broad powers.

In Gorgan, Gilan, Mazandaran, and Khorasan provinces organize the separatist movement along local [korennyye] questions, in particular:

in Gilan Province:
The organization of public services and amenities in the cities of Rasht [and] Pahlavi, leaving no less than 50% of the tax proceeds collected from the province for this purpose;

in Gorgan Province:
Study in the native Turkmen language in the schools; replacement of the local organization, gendarmerie, and police with Turkomans, leaving no less than 50% of the tax proceeds collected from the province for public services, amenities, and health in Gonbad-e-Kavus, Gorgan, and Bandar Shah.

in Mazandaran and Khorasan Provinces:
1. Return of land to small and average landowners taken by Reza Shah (amlyak lands).

2. Leaving no less than 50% of tax proceeds collected from the province for public services and amenities of the cities of Sari, Shah, Mashhad, and New Quchan.
Additionally, bring to light locally such questions so as to organize a separatist movement in the above provinces.
Raise the demand to conduct land reform not only in Southern Azerbaijan but in [regions] regions of the northern provinces of Iran.

V. Organization of Enjumens

1. After creating the organizing committees of the Azerbaijan Democratic Party at the same time as work is conducted to elect deputies to the 15th Convocation of the Majlis, develop a campaign to organize enjumens, using the electoral enthusiasm of the population for this purpose.

VI. Organization of Press Organs

1. To organize all the agitation work via the press, establish a publishing house for new magazines in the cities of Rasht, Rezaye, and Mahabad in addition to the existing newspapers.

[illegible signatures]

14.7.45