The conflict of Nagorno-Karabakh starting in February 1988 to now has been a territorial dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan. It has drawn attention from many throughout the world because of its intricate historical origins and the recent uptick in bloodshed.

The long-standing territorial dispute involving the Nagorno-Karabakh territory between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Although the struggle has existed since the early 20th century, it didn’t escalate until the fall of the Soviet Union in late 1991. After Nagorno-Karabakh, which is primarily home to ethnic Armenians, declared its independence from Azerbaijan in 1991, a bloody conflict that left hundreds of thousands of people homeless and claimed thousands of lives broke out. A cease-fire was agreed upon in 1994, however,  Even when a ceasefire was eventually achieved in 1994, violence still shook the regions for many years onward, indicating that the issue had not been settled.

The Nagorno-Karabakh territory, which is mostly inhabited by ethnic Armenians but lies within Azerbaijan’s internationally recognized borders, is the source of conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The conflict, which began in the early 20th century, has been characterized by episodes of extreme violence, such as a full-scale conflict that claimed thousands of lives and forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee their places of residence in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The conflict has not been resolved despite a truce deal in 1994. Periodic clashes have continued over time, culminating in a six-week battle in 2020.

In late 2023 there were clashes between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces in the area. The clashes in the area led to concerns about escalation between the two. However, the escalation of these tensions was inevitable, in 2024, the conflict drew national attention with international calls for a resolution to the dispute.

During September 2023, many Armenians surrendered to the Azerbaijanis. This led to many ethnic Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh fleeing. With the end of the conflict, the Azerbaijanis regained control of much of their territory with the ethnic opposition ceasing. All in all, the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is another example of preexisting borders established by foreign powers being negative for ethnic populations through the drawing of borders.