The Struggle For Transcaucasia, 1917-1921

372 Pages·1981·10.143 MB·English

by  Firuz Kazemzadeh

THE STRU G G LE FOR
TR A N SCAU CASIA

THE STRUGGLE FOR
TRANSCAUCASIA
(19I7-I92O
by
FIRUZ KAZEMZADEH, Ph.D.
with an Introduction by
M ichael K arpovich
(Professor of History, Harvard University)
PHILOSOPHICAL LIBRARY, GEORGE RONALD,
NEW YORK OXFORD
PUBLISHED 1951
by Philosophical Library In c15, East 40th Street,
New York, 16, N.Y.,
omf George Ronald, 2, Alfred Street, Oxford
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
PRINTED IN ENGLAND
BY
TEMPLAR PRESS) l68 EDMUND STREET) BIRMINGHAM)
ENGLAND
To
M other and Father

PREFACE
event of such magnitude and consequence as the Russian
revolution could not fail to attract the attention of historians
everywhere. A steady stream of publications in various languages has
brought to the reading public the necessary knowledge of its main
aspects. Yet there are wide lacunae in this voluminous literature.
The course of die Revolution in the border areas erf Russia has not
received nearly enough attention. The histories of the non-Russian ,
inhabitants of die former Russian Empire are today practically unknown I
in the West, and their importance is not appreciated.
This is especially true of Transcaucasia, a land which lies at the
point of Europe and Asia, where events of international
significance occurred during the years 1917-1921. The present study
is an attempt to fill the gap. It deals with the struggle for Transcaucasia,
which began with die dissolution erf the Russian Imperial authority,
culminated in the formation of three independent Republics, and came |
to an abrupt end with the establishment of Soviet regimes in Azerbaijan,
Armenia, and Georgia.
The sources for a history of Transcaucasia are not easily available to
those who do not command a knowledge of Russian. On the other
hand, books written in that language invariably present a one-sided
picture and offer partisan interpretations. A number of documents,
diaries, and periodicals used in the present work are generally unknown,
and, to my knowledge, have never been used before.
I owe a debt of gratitude to die staff of the Hoover Library, Stanford
University, for placing at my disposal their facilities, and above all
to Dr. Harold H. Fisher, Chairman of the Hoover Institute and
Library, whose encouragement and help I deeply appreciate. I take
this opportunity to express my thanks to the late Professor Robert P.
Blake, of Harvard University, whose recent death grieves all those who
knew him, for generously allowing me to use his private materials; to
vu,
Professor Wayne Vucinich of Stanford University who helped me while
this work was in its initial stages, and to Mrs. Xenia A. Eudin, research
fellow at die Hoover Institute, who read the manuscript and made
many valuable suggestions. A friend who helped me in smoothing out
my English and has given generously of his time, must, for personal
reasons, remain unnamed. I owe especial thanks to my mentor, Pro­
fessor M. M. Karpovich of Harvard University, who guided me in
this work with his valuable advice and wise counsel. Last but not
least I wish to thank my wife for die encouragement she gave
me while this work was in progress.
Hoover Library,
Stanford, California.
June, 1950.
viii.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
PREFACE vu.
Chapter
I THE BACKGROUND 3
II TRANSCAUCASIA BEFORE 1917 ........................... 8
The Armenians in Turkey. The origins of the
Dashnaktsutiun. Georgian society. Origins of
Georgian Socialism. Social and political life in
Azerbaijan. The Revolution of 1905. The activi­
ties of the Dashnaks. Armeno-Azerbaijani enmity.
The Hemmat. The Musavat. Russian colonization.
The Great War. The Zavriev mission. Agreements
regarding Turkey.
III THE MARCH REVOLUTION ............................ 32
The Ozakom. The Tiflis Soviet. The Mensheviks.
The Bolsheviks. The Caucasian army. The
Armenians. The Azerbaijanis. The Baku Soviet.
The Musavat.
IV THE NOVEMBER REVOLUTION ............... 54
The organization of local government. The Bolshe­
viks proclaim the right of peoples to self-determina­
tion. The Transcaucasian Commissariat. The
Georgian Mensheviks seize power in Tiflis. The
struggle for the Caucasian army. The struggle for
the Soviets. The struggle for the Trade Unions.
Situation in Baku. The Baku Soviet versus the City
Duma. The Musavat and the Bolsheviks. The
March Events. Bolshevik monopoly of power.
ix.
THE STRUGGLE FOR TRANSCAUCASIA
V TRANSCAUCASIA AT THE CROSSROADS 79
American attitude towards intervention in Russia.
The growth of separatism. The Erzinjan armistice.
The Shamkhor massacre. Turkey proposes peace.
Turkey breaks the Armistice. The organisation of
the Seim. The Seim decides to make peace. The
treaty of Brest-Litovsk. The Trebizond Conference.
Transcaucasia’s concessions. Transcaucasia breaks
the negotiations. Transcaucasia declares war. The
question of independence. Transcaucasia proclaims
its independence. The first Transcaucasian Govern­
ment.
VI THE BATUM CONFERENCE 109
The re-opening of the negotiations. Transcaucasia
and Russia. German mediation. Georgia seeks
German help. The Turkish ultimatum.
VII THE DISINTEGRATION OF TRANSCAUCASIA 118
The breakdown of the Federation. Georgia pro­
claims independence. Germano-Georgian agree­
ments. The Transcaucasian States make peace with
Turkey.
VIII THE DEFENCE AND FALL OF BAKU ................ 128
The Soviet rule in Baku. The offensive against
Ganja. The Ardahan conspiracy. The invitation
of Bicherakhov. German interests in Baku. The
Turkish offensive against Baku. Conflict within
Baku. The fall of the Soviet. The Centro-Caspiàn
Dictatorship. The British in Baku. The fall of
Baku. The fate of the Twenty-six Commissars.
The Azerbaijani Government enters Baku.
XI INDEPENDENT GEORGIA........................................ 147
The Germans arrive. Germano-Georgian negotia­
tions. The Batum plebiscite. Change in Turkish
attitude. Georgia and Azerbaijan. Georgia and
Armenia.
z.