This article reinterprets the coverage and major assessments of the Defense Army (DA) of the Republic of Artsakh (RA) in Armenian historiography. Although certain episodes in the army’s history have been presented in various publications from Artsakh, Armenia, and the Diaspora, the study of the formation and combat path of the DA remains central to scholarly inquiry. The aim of this research is to summarize the evolution of the history of the Defense Army and evaluate key scholarly contributions, with a particular focus on the role of military construction in the development of Armenian statehood in Artsakh. The author analyzes the Defense Army not merely as a military organization but also as an institutional body formed under conditions of political non-recognition and operating under the legitimate right of selfdefense enshrined in international law.

KeywordsRepublic of Artsakh Defence Army Armenian historiography self-defence unrecognised state periodisation historico-political discourse.