Azerbaijan marks the 80th anniversary of victory over Nazi Germany

Azerbaijan is commemorating the 80th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War II today.

As reported by Caliber.Az, this holiday is marked at the state level. The war affected nearly every Azerbaijani family, and Baku oil played a crucial role in securing military victory over fascism.

Every fifth resident of Azerbaijan took part in the war. Out of a population of 3.4 million (as of 1941), 681,000 people were sent to the front, including more than 10,000 women. These were representatives of various nationalities, and 250,000 of them died. More than 400,000 soldiers and officers were awarded combat orders and medals; 14 people became full Cavaliers of the Order of Glory, 123 were named Heroes of the Soviet Union, and 44 of these heroes were ethnic Azerbaijanis.

Thanks to the selfless labour of Azerbaijani oil workers, a record oil production figure was achieved in 1941—23.5 million tonnes of "black gold"—the highest in Azerbaijan's history. This accounted for 71.4 per cent of all oil produced in the USSR. It can be said with confidence that Baku oil was one of the key factors in the victory over fascism.

It is enough to note that four out of five aircraft, five tanks, and five vehicles operated on Baku-produced fuel. More than 130 types of weapons and ammunition were manufactured in Baku. Around 70% of those working in factories and collective farms were women.

On Azerbaijani territory, 87 battalions and 1,123 self-defence units were established, and national rifle divisions—the 77th, 223rd, 396th, 402nd, and 416th—were formed. These divisions fought their way from the foothills of the Caucasus to the Baltics, Eastern Europe, and Berlin. Hospitals across the country treated 440,000 soldiers wounded at the front.