GEORGIA-TURKEY (OTTOMAN EMPIRE) RELATIONS IN THE FIRST WORLD WAR AND POST-WAR PERIOD (1918-1921)
Nugzar Zosidze
Batumi Shota Rustaveli State University, Batumi, Georgia
Email: n.zosidze@bsu.edu
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2613-3365
Enver Diasamidze
Georgian Technical University Tbilisi, Georgia
Email: enodiasamidze@gmail.com
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8298-7002
ABSTRACT
A special part of the history of Georgia is the period of the Democratic Republic of Georgia (1918-1921). At the end of the World War, the struggle of the great powers for the seizure of southwestern Georgia - especially the Batumi district - intensified. The economic and economic potential of the region, and its strategic location attracted both the Ottomans and the European states (England, France, Italy, and Russia). In the district, however, the plans of the supporters of Turanism to rebuild the earlier empire were not carried out. The defeat of the German bloc countries ruled out the possibility of Ottoman domination here. The UK took advantage of this and actively worked on establishing its prominent position in the region. For the same purpose, he tried to internationalize the Batumi issue, but due to the protests of the Georgian people and the diplomatic measures taken by the government of the Democratic Republic of Georgia, it was thwarted. In the background, Russia was noticeably active in both the Tsarists and the Soviets, which fought to maintain a united and indivisible empire. Nevertheless, quite intensive relations between the Russian National Council in Batumi and its commander, Cadet Maslov, and the famous General Denikin aimed to withdraw Batumi region from Georgia. The Angorie government was no less active in the same direction. In such a problematic situation, Adjara itself has taken the right position by having decided with the active support of the Government of the Republic of Georgia to pursue its future as a part of Georgia..
Another significant aspect to the research is the so-called Republic of Kars, which can be said to have been ‘stillborn’, but in its content was a real reflection of the most difficult political relations and battle of interests in the region. However, it was an extremely dangerous project on the territory of historic southern Georgia that posed a threat to Georgian statehood. This issue is virtually unexplored so far and is highly biased in its depiction in the works of historians of neighboring countries (Azerbaijan, Turkey).
Particular attention will be paid to the analysis of the political events in late 1920 and early 1921 in the context of the common Transcaucasian policy (referring to the agreements of Moscow, March 16, 1920 and Kars, October 13, 1921). Considering that Batumi region was one of the cornerstones of this great policy, a comprehensive research of the problem will be carried out with the help of new documentary sources discovered in the scientific circles and the archives in of Georgia, Turkey and Russia.
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