When publishing documents from the times of the occupation of the First Republic of Armenia by the Russian-Turkish forces, you feel persistent historical déjà vu and obvious parallels with what is happening now.
Today, Russia is pursuing the same policy as the Bolshevik Russia did towards Armenia a hundred years ago. If you read the earlier documents of the same source, you’ll become assured of the fact that imperial Russia of an even earlier period pursued exactly the same policy.
Russia, as before, provides comprehensive support to both Azerbaijan and Turkey against Armenia, primarily supplying modern offensive weapons to these countries. Thus, the assurances that Bolshevik Russia is different from classical Russia and even more so from modern Russia are completely unfounded.
And for those who, despite everything (and maybe by the order of Gazprom), are promoting “brotherly Russia”, I would like to recall the fate of the Armenian Bolsheviks who brought this evil to Armenia in the 1920s. Almost all of them were eliminated.
As for modern times, I recommend paying attention to those who are deep in prison, and, judging by Zatulin’s statement that it is Robert Kocharyan who is to blame for Artsakh’s withdrawal from the negotiation process, to those who’ve been disposed of by the Kremlin.
Letter of the Head of the Paris Peace Conference Delegation of the Republic of Armenia A. Aharonyan to the Chairman of the Council of the League of Nations Paul Hymans on the Aggression of Bolshevik Russia, Soviet Azerbaijan, and Kemalist Turkey against Armenia.
Delegation of the Armenian Republic, Paris, 27, Avenue Marceau, Peace Conference, October 6, 1920
“Your Excellency, I received from my government a telegram dated to October 2, informing me that the Turkish armed forces consisting of regular troops under the command of Kâzım Karabekir commenced a new advance towards Kars. They sent an initial ultimatum demanding that Armenia leave the regions of Olti, Kars, and Ardahan “in fulfillment of the conditions of the Brest-Litovsk Treaty”.
These forces, which outnumber the Armenian army on this front, aim to impose the Brest-Litovsk Treaty which implies the passing of the Kars and Batum provinces to Turkey. These actions are also aimed at connecting the Turkish forces with the Bolsheviks, and this means a gross violation of the Treaty of Sevres. The telegram stresses the seriousness of the situation in view of the complete absence of fuel. Baku is in the hands of the Bolsheviks who refuse to supply Armenia with fuel.
In an environment where extremely serious circumstances threaten Armenia, which in the end is likely to endanger the interests of the Allied powers themselves, the Government of the Armenian Republic makes an urgent appeal to the League of Nations and requests intervention in any form it deems desirable in order to ensure respect for the Treaty of Sevres.
The Armenian government is aware of the enormous difficulties faced by even the strongest and most prosperous powers, as well as the reasons that compel them to devote their efforts to rebuilding their countries. The Armenian government also understands that each country must ensure its own protection and security.
However, it wants to point out that the war for the just cause which ended so well for the main Allied powers is still continuing in relation to Armenia in the worst conditions of isolation and deprivation. Therefore, Armenia is forced in its dual capacity as an ally and as a country whose interests are connected with the interests of the Entente to ask for intervention, which alone can ensure its security and restore peace in the East.
Armenia could easily ensure the protection of its borders against the invasion of the Turks if it was not at the same time threatened by the Tatars of Azerbaijan and the Bolsheviks. In this case, it must defend its positions on three fronts, at the same time not being able to increase the number of its armed forces due to insufficient supplies of weapons, ammunition, equipment, etc., and also due to food shortages.
The promotion undertaken by Kâzım Karabekir, the representative of Mustafa Kemal in the Caucasus, is a new attempt by the Turks to unite two large Islamic groups by suppressing a state – namely, Armenia – which is as an obstacle to this unification.
For their part, the Bolsheviks have a favorable attitude towards this offensive since they are convinced that the Muslim world revolution will inevitably create unrest in the economy of the East as a whole, on which they rely in order to achieve the spread of their system.
The Armenian government considers fully justified the emphasis on the danger that threatens universal peace in the event that the Young Turks are given freedom of action together with the Bolsheviks. For this reason alone, the need to assist the Armenians becomes even more urgent.
Since the Armenian government believes that under the present circumstances, the occupation of Trebizond by the Allies would be the best method of disrupting the Turkish-Bolshevik plan, it had just turned to the Allies with this proposal.
By submitting the above to the League of Nations, the Armenian government officially protests against the violation of the Treaty of Sevres by the Turkish troops under the command of Kâzım Karabekir and requests the League of Nations to take all necessary measures to prevent these actions. I have the honor to stay and so on.”
A. Aharonyan, Chairman of the Delegation of the Republic of Armenia at the Peace Conference
Annex 108 to the Minutes of the Eleventh Meeting, October 27, 1920. The tenth session of the Council of the League of Nations held in Brussels on October 20 – October 1920. League of Nations [20/29/16]. P. 67, 69. (Allocated by us. – Yu.B.).
Source: Барсегов Ю.Г. Нагорный Карабах
