MODERN HISTORY

MODERN HISTORY - I

( Section 6: 1919 - 1920 )

The surrender of Ottoman Turkey on October 30, 1918, and the subsequent end of World War I in November resulted in evacuation of regular troops of the defeated Central Powers from the Caucasus. They were then replaced by some British forces that occupied the districts of Baku and Batum (Batumi), and stayed there for most of the brief period of Transcaucasian independence. The major European powers recognized the Transcaucasian republics of Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia. According to the decisions of the Paris Peace Conference, Turkey had to surrender all of its previous territorial claims. Moreover, seven eastern provinces (former Turkish Armenia and Paryadria) were to be ceded to the Armenian Republic.

Meanwhile in North Caucasia, all Antibolshevik forces were reorganized into "The Military Forces of Southern Russia" under the leadership of General Anton Denikin. In January-May 1919 they undertook a new offensive against the Bolsheviks, and in spite of obstinate resistance of the newly-formed Red Army, vast territories in Southern Russia were put under Antibolshevik control by early autumn, 1919.

Because of temporary crisis situations in Russia and Turkey, both of which unable to satisfy their ambitions in the Caucasus at least during the year 1919, the new nations of Transcaucasia had a chance to establish their statehood. However, that chance was to varying extents missed by all three republics. Their governments failed to drive the countries' economies out of the post-war crisis. The few years of Georgian and Azerbaijani independence were economically very hard, while the situation in Armenia was absolutely disastrous, mainly due to its geographic and political isolation. On the other hand, the period of nation-building in Transcaucasia was marked by numerous territorial disputes, which caused both financial and ideological exhaustion of the young nations.

The Republic of Armenia claimed the Eastern provinces of Turkey with the cities of Erzerum, Van and Trabzon. These territorial ambitions were legally satisfied by the terms of the Treaty of Sevres on August 10, 1920, but the Armenian republic was still unable to put the acquired lands under its control because by that time there were no Armenians left in Eastern Turkey, and local Turkic and Kurd population took up arms against Armenian administration. meanwhile, the leaders of the Georgian Republic aimed at establishing Greater Georgia within its historical borders, ignoring the fact that the ethnic makeup of the area had changed drastically compared to the 13th and even 18th century. In Early 1919 Georgia took control over all former Tiflis and Kutais provinces, as well as over the Northern part of Kars Territory. These lands included 4 districts (Ahalkalaki, Borchalo, Ardaghan and Olti) inhabited by Armenian majority and claimed by the Republic of Armenia. The conflict ended in several border clashes and permanent transportation problems between the two states. During the whole period of the civil war in Russia, Georgia was involved in several conflicts with Russian Antibolshevik South, both over disputed territories and over Georgian moral and military support for separatist Kuban Cossacks and the Confederation of Mountaineers.

Mutual territorial claims of Armenia and Azerbaijan caused a brutal and confusing war between the two nations. Guerrilla and Semi-Guerrilla operations accompanied by periodical massacre of civilians in the disputed districts of Kazakh-Shamshadin, Nakhichevan, Zanghezur and Karabakh, began in October 1918 and finally ended only in 1922.

By February 1920 The Military Forces of Southern Russia, weakened by their uncertain goals, Cossack separatism and insufficient Allied support, were defeated by the more substantial Red Army, and the Bolshevik government of Russia gradually reasserted its control over North Caucasia. In March fell the last strongholds of the White Army on the North-Caucasian Black Sea coast. At the same time the main forces of the Confederation of Mountaineers surrendered in Dagestan, and the Soviet Republic of North Caucasus was proclaimed. The leaders of Russian Bolshevism were prepared to attack Transcaucasia carrying out their doctrine of The World Revolution.