Battle of Oltu

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Battle of Oltu
partof=Turkish-Armenian War


caption=
date=25 July 1920, 5 September 1920
place=Oltu (present-day Turkey)
result=Turkish victory
combatant1=
combatant2=
commander1=Unknown
commander2=Kazım Karabekir|

The Battle of Oltu was actually two battles, the first (18 June to 25 June, 1920) was a battle between Armenian troops and local Turkish militia in Oltu district, Georgia.Hewsen, Robert H. and Salvatico, Christopher C. (2001) "Armenia: A Historical Atlas" University of Chicago Press, Chicago, p. 237. ISBN 0-226-33228-4] And the second was when Turkish troops drove Armenian troops out of Oltu district on 3-5 September 1920.

Background

World War I was over and the Ottoman Empire had lost. The Russian Empire had come apart in the Russian Civil War with separate governments being formed in Georgia and Armenia. The Treaty of Sèvres which established the new boundaries for the Ottoman Empire had not yet been signed. The district of Oltu, known then as Ardahan-Olty, [ [http://books.google.com/books?vid=0la-8ohDO1fBFnnREd&id=DHczWUKjRrEC&pg=RA6-PA40&lpg=RA6-PA40&dq=olty+armenia&ie=ISO-8859-1 "The New York Times Current History: A Monthly Magazine: The European War" Vol XIX, 1919, p. ] ] had become part of Russia in 1878, attached to Georgia, which assumed de jure authority over it when they claimed independence on May 26, 1918. A year later the Democratic Republic of Armenia was established on May 28, 1919.

First battle

The conflict arose when the Democratic Republic of Georgia failed to maintain control over their westernmost province, the district of Oltu, and local Muslim warlords [http://www.conflicts.rem33.com/images/Armenia/turkarwar.htm Andersen, Andrew (2004) "Turkish-Armenian War Sept.-Nov. 1920"] ] assumed control in their stead. The local Turkish tribes had skirmished with Armenian border troops, and as a result the local Armenian commander initiated a punitive expedition into the Oltu district. On 16 June 1920 Amerian forces invaded the Oltu district and annexed to DRA. Meanwhile the Treaty of Sèvres was signed confirming the validity of the Armenian state, but giving Armenia much less territory than originally proposed by Woodrow Wilson.

econd battle

In August, the Armenian government ordered the partial occupation of the Oltu district. Using the move as a pretext for war, General Kazım Karabekir led four Turkish battalions into the district on September 3 and drove the Armenians out. Karabekir then pushed into the Democratic Republic of Armenia on September 20 prompting the Armenian government to declare war on Turkey four days later. [http://safety.spbstu.ru/book/hrono/hrono/sobyt/1920arm.html Turkish-Armenian War of 1920] in Russian] . Oltu was liberated in September 20.

References