Constructing National Identities: Competing Historical Narratives in Contemporary Textbooks in Armenia and Azerbaijan

DOI: 10.33876/2311-0546/2026-1/68-83

Abstract

This article examines the construction of historical narratives in modern history textbooks in Armenia and Azerbaijan in the context of the ethnopolitical confrontation between the two countries. The study focuses on contemporary history textbooks from these states, approved by the ministries of science and education of the respective republics and recommended for university students: History of Azerbaijan (From Ancient Times to the Present), authored by Professor I. M. Mamedov, and History of Armenia, compiled by a group of authors under the editorship of Professor G. R. Simonyan. A comparative analysis of the texts was conducted to identify competing interpretations of historical events, uncover propaganda and manipulative narratives, and to assess their influence on the entrenchment of cultural, social, and political contradictions between Armenians and Azerbaijanis. It was concluded that the examined educational materials contain pseudo-historical plots used to legitimize both states' claims to disputed territories and justify their chosen political course towards further deterioration of Azerbaijani-Armenian relations.