Budding Nationalism in the Black Garden; Nagorno Karabakh and the Role of Conflict in Developing Azerbaijani National Identity

Azerbaijan\u27s war with Armenia in late 2020, was dubbed the Patriotic War by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and his supporters. Emphasizing the nature of conflict with Armenia as the greatest possible expression of Azerbaijani nationalism, the Aliyev cabinet has utilized the conflict to generate popular support for the authoritarian government. This paper delves into the history of Azerbaijan to flesh out the roots of the conflict and better understand how Azerbaijanis understand their own national identity