Defeat: Documenting the Karabagh War of 2020
with English translation by Ara Sarafian
London: Gomidas Institute, 2026,
London: Gomidas Institute, 2026,
x + 148 pp, colour maps
ISBN 978-1-909382-91-6, paperback,
Price: UK£20.00 / US$25.00
To order please contact books@gomidas.org
Preface to the English Translation (v)
- Ara Sarafian
Chronological Notes on the Nagorno-Karabagh Conflict (vii)
Foreword (1)
- Ashot Voskanyan
Unresolved Questions Regarding the 2020 Defeat (3)
- Karen Harutyunyan
The 2020 Karabagh War and Armenia’s Defeat: An Interview-Based Analysis (15)
- Vicken Cheterian
Military Defeat or Social Crisis? (71)
- Ashot Voskanyan
Chronology of the 2020 Artsakh War (83)
- Mkrtich Karapetyan
- Map: The 2020 War of NKAO (Nagorno-Karabagh Autonomous Oblast) (142)
- Hayk Hovhannisyan
About the Authors (145)
This book presents a systematic analysis of the Second Karabakh War (the 44-Day War), fought between Azerbaijan and Armenia from 27 September to 10 November 2020. It is based on a series of structured interviews conducted in 2024 with 31 senior Armenian political and military figures involved in the conflict, as well as civilian analysts. Interviewees include Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, former President Serzh Sargsyan, Commander of the Artsakh Defence Army Samvel Babayan, and RA Defence Minister Seyran Ohanyan.
The interviews comprised 80 open-ended questions addressing:
* The origins of the 44-Day War
* The July 2020 clashes in the Tavush border region of Armenia
* The outbreak and subsequent conduct of the 44-Day War
* Military leadership and decision-making processes
* Recruitment, troop deployment and logistics
* The effectiveness of weapons systems
* The end of the war and its consequences
The interviews were analysed by Vicken Cheterian, and his findings are accompanied by a detailed chronology of the conflict and a map of the military engagements.
This book is the result of a collaborative work involving five specialists and supported by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. It has been translated into English for the first time.