Baku's liberation paved the way for the transfer of the capital from Ganja to Baku and ensuring Azerbaijan's territorial integrity, and set the basis for its contemporary boundaries.
In December 1918, the first decision of the newly established Azerbaijani parliament was to place a monument for the "martyred Ottoman soldiers and officers" at the highest spot in Baku.
Though plan and sketches for the monument were prepared, the Soviet occupation in April 1920 did not allow for its construction. The monument was finally erected in 1999-2000.
Azerbaijan first declared independence from the Russian Tsar regime but was toppled after almost two years in 1920 by the Soviet Union.
Regarded as the first secular and democratic republic in the East, Azerbaijan made reforms in many fields, including freedom of education, religion, and conscience.
In its Declaration of Independence, the country granted equal rights to all citizens, regardless of race, religion, sect, or gender.
As the heir to the Azerbaijani Democratic Republic, on Oct. 18, 1991, Azerbaijan reestablished its status as an independent state.
Turkey was the first country to recognize Azerbaijan's independence, and Baku opened its embassy in Turkey in 1992.
