Formulation of Rhizomes Effective in Construction the Territorial Secession of Azerbaijan Democratic Party from Iran after World War II (1945-1946)

Document Type : Research Paper

Author

Assistance Professor of Political Geography in Yazd University, Yazd, Iran.

Abstract

Introduction
In political geography, based on the views of Deleuze and Guattari, territory is seen as a field of political order that seeks to impose the dominant discourse of "identity" as a "standard order." Deterritorialization represents forces that oppose this imposed order, attempting to make their discourse hegemonic. In Iran after World War II, the "Marxist-Ethnic" counter-discourse of the Azerbaijan Democratic Party aimed to deterritorialize the centralist nationalist discourse of Pahlavi. Both discourses employed distinct theoretical frameworks to direct rhizomatic micro-movements toward territorial subjectivity; however, the Azerbaijan Democratic Party’s counter-discourse in 1945 and 1946 was more effective in channeling social movement energies and shaping the Azerbaijani people's social imagination for radical change. Various perspectives have emerged regarding how the party articulated its territorial expansion to undermine the central government's sovereignty. Within Deleuze and Guattari’s framework, the territorialization period of the Azerbaijan Democratic Party from 1945-1946 revealed a unique pattern of articulating political rhizomes, though debates persist about how exactly these components contributed to territorial deterritorialization. This research seeks to examine the subject positions within these social rhizomes, specifically focusing on how these interactions deconstructed the centralized nationalist territoriality and transformed it into a 'Marxist-ethnic' discourse during 1945-1946 in Azerbaijan.
 
Methodology
This study explores how the social rhizomes of the Azerbaijan Democratic Party were articulated to construct a counter-discourse advocating territorial secession. The concept of rhizome, within Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari’s theory of assemblages, is defined as a non-hierarchical, interconnected network. By integrating this theoretical framework with the symbolic elements of the party’s counter-discourse, the paper investigates how national and territorial concepts were adapted to serve the metaphor of Azerbaijan’s secession from Iran.
 
Results and Discussion

A) Equivalence of ethnicity and Marxist ideology in territorialization: The integration of Pan-Turkism and Communism in Azerbaijan’s territorialization required legitimizing the equivalence of ethnic identity and Marxist classlessness, which became central in the Democratic Party’s discourse. Supporting autonomy and divergent movements were supported as the basis for Azerbaijani proletarian rights and self-determination within a broader Marxist framework.
B) Azeri ethnicity’s alienation from Iranian nationalism: The party’s ideology constructed a counter-narrative to Iranian nationalism by mythologizing Azerbaijan’s unique history and positioning it as separate from Iran. They argued that Azerbaijan’s ancestors, like the Medes, had no historical ties to Iran, thus emphasizing a distinct national identity separate from ancient Iran, supported by both party ideologues and Soviet historians.
C) Regional federalism against centralized governance: This component promoted territorial autonomy, mobilizing regional identity and advocating for a federalist system as a way to achieve justice and balanced development, viewing the end of centralized monarchy as a necessary step toward regional autonomy and fairness.
D) Geopolitical convergence with the Soviet Union: The party viewed the Soviet Union as a supporter of oppressed lower classes resisting capitalist imperialism. Collaboration with the Soviet Union, including securing oil concessions, was seen as a strategic move to counterbalance British influence and secure Azerbaijani independence and resources.

 
Conclusion
The Azerbaijan Democratic Party constructed a narrative where secession was a response to the central Iranian government’s neglect of Azerbaijani socio-economic issues. Its territorial divergence drew on Pan-Turkism within a communist ideology, opposing Iran’s nationalist historiography. Despite proximity to the Soviet Union facilitating this divergence, the party viewed the USSR as a liberator of nations from colonial-capitalist domination, emphasizing a strategic geopolitical alliance to realize their territorial and ideological aims.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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POLITICAL QUARTERLY
Volume 55, Issue 3 - Serial Number 3
September 2025
Pages 806-783

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History

  • Receive Date: 11 November 2024
  • Revise Date: 30 November 2024
  • Accept Date: 07 July 2025

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