🇬🇧 Doubts Expressed by British Delegate Eric Forbes Adam

History

🇬🇧 Doubts Expressed by British Delegate Eric Forbes Adam at the Paris Peace Conference Regarding the Legitimacy of Transferring Karabakh to Azerbaijani Administration Instead of Incorporating It into Armenia

June 9, 1919

The only point that remains unclear in this response is the question of why the district of Karabakh—where, by general consensus, the Armenian population predominates and which, according to Mr. Aharonian, geographically belongs to Armenia as the northeastern part of the Armenian Highlands—should not be annexed to the Armenian Republic or Erivan, but instead be transferred to Azerbaijani administration. Forbes Adam, Minute dated June 9, 1919, F.O. 608/82, 342/5/4/11688. (Emphasis added – Y.B.)

📜 Appeal by Representatives of Armenian Regional Unions and Public Organizations to the Allied Powers to Halt Azerbaijani Aggression Against Armenian Karabakh

Tiflis, June 11, 1919

On Wednesday, June 11, 1919, a general assembly was convened in Tiflis, bringing together representatives of Armenian regional unions from Turkish Armenia and the South Caucasus, along with various public and cultural institutions. After hearing reports of the ongoing bloody events in Armenian Karabakh, the assembly resolved to address the Allied Powers with the following appeal:

  1. Urgent Restoration of Order Fully aware of the conditions in our region and convinced that the perilous situation in Karabakh—caused by Azerbaijani military actions—threatens not only the destruction of Karabakh but also risks spreading across the entire South Caucasus, plunging its peoples into prolonged interethnic conflict, we urgently request the Allies to take immediate measures to restore order and security in Karabakh and prevent the violence currently unfolding in Shusha from spreading further.
  2. Withdrawal of Azerbaijani Forces To eliminate the specter of interethnic strife looming over Karabakh and other parts of the South Caucasus, it is imperative to withdraw Azerbaijani authorities and troops from Armenian Karabakh. Azerbaijani domination in this region is fraught with the danger of prolonged bloodshed, mutual extermination, devastation, and fatal anarchy.
  3. Historical and Ethnographic Justification Considering that Armenian Karabakh has always been ethnographically, historically, and economically linked to Armenia—and that the Armenians of Karabakh, both during the five-year war and especially during the days when German-Turkish forces ravaged the South Caucasus, managed to defend their freedom without succumbing to the yoke of violence—now, with the victory secured by the Allies, the Armenians of Karabakh cannot reconcile themselves to Tatar rule. Therefore, if the will of the Karabakh Armenians to unite with the Armenian metropolis cannot yet be fulfilled, we ask the Allies to assume administration of Armenian Karabakh until the final resolution of the province’s status at the Paris Conference.

📄 Notification from the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the Government of Armenia Regarding the Appointment of a Governor in Karabakh and the False Claim That the Allied Command Had “Recognized” Azerbaijani Sovereignty Over This Armenian Territory

June 13, 1919

Please inform the Government of Armenia: Sultanov was appointed by decree of the Azerbaijani government on January 15, 1919, and was officially recognized by the Allied Command on April 3 as Governor-General of the Shusha, Zangezur, Jebrail, and Jevanshir districts, which constitute an indisputable and inalienable part of Azerbaijan. Therefore, any protests by the Armenian government regarding the actions of Muslims or the presence of Azerbaijani troops in Karabakh constitute interference in the internal affairs of the Azerbaijani Republic and are inadmissible for discussion. As for the disturbances in the Shusha district, decisive measures taken by the Governor-General have restored order, and life has returned to normal. On behalf of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ziyatkhanov (Statement transmitted by the Diplomatic Representative of the Azerbaijani Republic to the Government of Armenia, M. Khan-Tekinski, on June 25, 1919) Source: Central State Historical Archive of Armenia, f. 200, op. 1, d. 271, pp. 65 verso–66. Certified copy. Typescript. Published in: Nagorno-Karabakh in 1918–1923, Yerevan, 1992, doc. no. 163.

🕊️ Appeal from Representatives of the Karabakh and Zangezur Regional Unions to the Commander of British Forces in the South Caucasus, Urging an End to British Tolerance Toward Azerbaijan and the Establishment of a British Governorship in Karabakh as a Temporary Measure

Tiflis, June 14, 1919

Your Excellency,

As you are aware, beginning on June 4, bloody events have unfolded in the city of Shusha and its surroundings due to aggressive actions by Azerbaijani forces. We firmly believe that this conflict was not accidental. The Azerbaijani government, in its relentless pursuit to subjugate our region, has employed provocative policies without restraint—policies that inevitably led to bloodshed.

These policies have manifested in:

  1. A series of attacks on Armenian villages, including killings, looting, and livestock theft
  2. Unhindered movement and concentration of troops in violation of General Thomson’s order issued upon the arrival of the first Allied mission in Karabakh
  3. The closure of transportation routes
  4. A harsh economic blockade imposed on all of Armenian Karabakh

The Karabakh Armenian National Council has repeatedly informed the British command of these distressing developments and requested protection. Yet, no measures were taken to halt them. On the contrary, the British command has consistently supported Azerbaijan’s unjust claims to Armenian Nagorno-Karabakh.

Thus, the British command’s failure to prevent Azerbaijani aggression—combined with its categorical demand that the region submit to Azerbaijani authority—emboldened the Azerbaijani government to attack the peaceful Armenian population.

Nevertheless, in obedience to British directives, the Armenians made painful concessions and sacrifices, hoping for a peaceful and just resolution. They:

  1. Did not retaliate against the outrages committed by Azerbaijani troops and irregular bands
  2. Refrained from any military movements
  3. Despite the economic blockade, peacefully allowed nomadic tribes to pass into the mountains for summer pastures
  4. Complied without objection with British orders to remove prominent public figures from Karabakh

All warnings from the Karabakh Armenian National Council to the British command—that the Armenian population was being reduced to pariah status under Turkic-Azerbaijani domination and that further developments would inevitably lead to bloodshed—went unheeded. That bloodshed began on June 4 and continues with the destruction of Armenian villages and the massacre of innocent civilians, including women and children.

We are convinced that the withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops and authorities from Armenian Karabakh, and the establishment of a British Governor-Generalship—as repeatedly requested by the Karabakh Armenian National Council—are the only rational measures to end the violence.

We respectfully assure Your Excellency that the Armenian population, in its desire to maintain order and peace in its homeland, is prepared to place all its resources and military forces at your disposal.

Representative of the Karabakh and Zangezur Regional Unions Source: Central State Historical Archive of Armenia, f. 276, op. 1, d. 42, pp. 86–87. Certified copy. Typescript. Published in: Nagorno-Karabakh in 1918–1923, Yerevan, 1992, doc. no. 164.

📨 Report from the Armenian Diplomatic Representative in Georgia to the Government of the Republic Regarding the Reaction of the U.S. Consul to the Massacre of 600 Residents of an Armenian Village Near Shusha

Urgent – Tiflis, June 14, 1919

The American Consul has just informed me that, according to a report he received on the 7th, Tatars surrounded an Armenian village near Shusha and massacred up to 600 people of both sexes. Outraged by this atrocity, the Consul is telegraphing Paris and Washington. Members of the Shusha Regional Union, Karabekyan and Melik-Osepyan, are requesting direct intervention and the dispatch of Prime Minister Khatissian to Tiflis for negotiations with the British command. I personally support this petition. Tomorrow I will meet with General Cory. — Evangulov Source: Central State Historical Archive of Armenia, f. 199, op. 1, d. 35, p. 257. Original manuscript. Published in: Nagorno-Karabakh in 1918–1923, Yerevan, 1992, doc. no. 165.

🛑 Protest Note from the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Against the Presence of Azerbaijani Troops and Governor in Armenian Karabakh and the Massacre Orchestrated by the Azerbaijani Government in Shusha and Surrounding Areas

Yerevan, June 16, 1919

Since late May, Mr. Sultanov has initiated a military encirclement of the city of Shusha, accompanied by the reinforcement and redeployment of Azerbaijani detachments throughout the districts of Armenian Karabakh. These actions created an extremely alarming situation, culminating in bloodshed instigated by Mr. Sultanov both in Shusha and the surrounding areas. Reports indicate that in one Armenian village near Shusha, surrounded by Tatars, up to 600 people of both sexes were slaughtered. The Government of Armenia categorically protests the violent and bloody actions of the Azerbaijani government, which trample upon the rights of Armenian Karabakh and its Armenian population to self-determination and peaceful, cultural existence. The Government of Armenia has deemed and continues to deem Mr. Sultanov’s claim to the governorship of Armenian Karabakh, and the presence of Azerbaijani troops therein, as illegal. The Azerbaijani government is held responsible for all that has occurred and for all that may yet occur, until it withdraws its troops and its governor from the districts of Armenian Karabakh—sources and agents of unrest, turmoil, and bloodshed. — On behalf of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prime Minister Khatissian — Secretary-General Ter-Akopian Source: Central State Historical Archive of Armenia, f. 200, op. 1, d. 299, p. 403. Manuscript. Published in: Nagorno-Karabakh in 1918–1923, Yerevan, 1992, doc. no. 170. Excerpted from a telegram to the Prime Minister of Azerbaijan.

📃 Letter from the Commander of British Armed Forces in the South Caucasus to the Prime Minister of Armenia Regarding the Division of Administrative Responsibility: Nakhichevan to Armenia, Karabakh to Azerbaijan

June 19, 1919

I have received and carefully considered the statements made by Your Excellency regarding recent events and the situation in the Karabakh region. I wish to begin by affirming my willingness to discuss these matters, as I trust Your Excellency and recognize your deep concern for the welfare of your compatriots, wherever they may reside. Otherwise, I would have had to rely solely on reports of the unfortunate events in a region outside the jurisdiction of your government. It is well known that the Azerbaijani government has recently extended its influence over Karabakh, while Your Excellency was invited to assume responsibility for the Nakhichevan district. As a result of this arrangement, a senior Azerbaijani official was appointed to serve in the Karabakh region and has taken residence in Shusha. In response to statements made by certain residents of Karabakh, a senior British officer in the Eastern Caucasus visited the region twice. Ultimately, the Azerbaijani government was informed that this is not an appropriate time to extend its authority over the predominantly Armenian district of Karabakh, despite being encouraged to do so in a region where Shusha is the geographic center. This decision represented a significant concession regarding the Armenian question, to which Your Excellency’s government has shown either indifference or insufficient understanding. On June 4, a deeply regrettable conflict occurred in Shusha between some Armenian and Tatar residents. The violence continued on June 5 and 6 and for two or three days thereafter, accompanied by raids by unruly Kurds descending from the mountains into neighboring villages. These incursions involved murder and looting, resulting in the death or abduction of approximately 400 defenseless villagers. Most property was destroyed. The raids were halted thanks to the intervention of British officers and orders issued by the commandant. The British command took immediate and decisive action, and I personally monitored the situation. Conditions have since improved. I moved with troops deeper into the region to ensure security but was recalled by certain individuals, including the commandant. Your proposal that representatives of your government assist the British commandant in this matter cannot be accepted, as it contradicts British policy. We cannot permit your government to exercise any administrative authority in this region. Your temporary borders are clearly defined, and there is no reason for you to deviate from them or take unilateral action. I assure Your Excellency’s people that the British command will do everything possible to ensure future peace and security in the Karabakh region. — Major General Cory, Commander of British Forces Source: Central State Historical Archive of Armenia, f. 276, op. 1, d. 42, pp. 93 verso. Certified copy. Typescript. Translated from English. Published in: Nagorno-Karabakh in 1918–1923, Yerevan, 1992, doc. no. 172. 329

Yuri Barsegov “Nagorno-Karabakh in International Law and Global Politics”

Artatsolum

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