First Republic of Armenia: Encyclopedia II - First Republic of Armenia - After WWI

First Republic of Armenia - After WWI

The Treaty of Batum, which stop the Ottoman Empire movements against the new Republic, did not give any freedom to the government. After the Ottoman Empire made the Armistice of Mudros, 30 October 1918, it was supposed to be a calm period.

With the Armistice of Mudros, British forces come ashore at Batum and Baku and occupied the Transcaucasian railway. The Ottoman Armies left the Transcaucasia, including Baku, Elizavetpol, Tiflis, Batum and Yerevan. Than later in early 1919 they were pulled back from Kars and Ardahan. This give chance to Armenian Republic to tripple its size. Thousands of refugess from deep Russian lands can be moved back to these lands. It was their land.

Before turn to 1919, the Islamic rebellion overthrew Shaumyan and declared a Transcaucasian Federation independent from Russia. Shaumyan was executed by British troops in September 1918.

During the 1919, the leaders of the of the Republic had to deal issues on three fronts: domestic, regional, and international. The establishment of the law was a problem, Armenians had the most organized structure in their homeland, however it was undeniable that several other ethnicities that have been settled many centuries in these lands (Kurds and Azeri’s were the major ones). Also there was an Armenian settlement problem that brought conflict with other ethnic residents. There were 300,000 embittered and impatient refugees escaped from Ottoman Empire under the government’s responsibility. Humanitarian responsibility of this government was insurmountable.

During 1920's which began under the premiership of Hovannes Kachaznuni, Armenians from former Russian Empire and United States developed the judicial system. January 1919 was an important milestone as the first University developed.

First Republic of Armenia - Refugee Problem

Under the eyes of the goverment, the refugees were dying and only in spring of 1919, the first American shiphment of wheat reach Batum. British army transported that aid to Yerevan. By that time 150,000 of the refugess were perished. That was nearly 20% of the whole republic.

The colation group that took the control in 1918 fall apart and in June 1919, first national elections were held.

First Republic of Armenia - Turkish-Armenian War

This time Turkish Revolutionaries fight against the Armenians with the justification that the Armenians under the border were performing "crimes" against the Turkish population in the Ottoman provinces. Thus a Turkish-Armenian War was started.

Mustafa Kemal sent several delegations to Moscow. These friendships proved disastrous for the Armenians.

Armenia gave a way to the communist power in late 1920. In september 1920, the Turkish revolutionaries moved very close to the capital which forced the Treaty of Alexandropol on 2/3 December 1920. During this time (2 December)the transfer of Armenian power had taken place without any bloodshed (both sides were communist) to Soviet plenipotentiary Boris Legran. Soviet administration pledge to take the steps to rebuild the army, protect the Armenians, etc.

The invasion of Armenia by the Red Army in 1922 under the conrol of communist goverment happaned. Armenia was included into the created Transcaucasian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "After WWI", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki