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Index

Armenia

The Urartu Civilisation

Victory for Independence

Artashisian Dynasty on the Armenian Throne

Armenia caught between Rome and the Arsacids

The Acceptance of Christianity

Defending Christianity

Armenia Under the Bagratouni Dynasty

Cilicia - the New Armenia

Armenia Under Turanian Rule

The Renaissance or the Resurrection of Armenia

The Eastern Question

Russia in the Caucasus

The Armenian Question

Battle on Two Fronts

Tsarist Russia Against the Armenians

The Revolution of the Young Turks and the Armenian People on the Eve of World War I

The First World War

The Resurrection of Armenia

Armenia on the Road to Independence, 1918

- Armenia on the Road to Independence, 1918

Eastern Armenia

Western Armenia

"The Fateful Years" (1914-1917)

"Hopes and Emotions" (March-October, 1917)

The Bolshevik Revolution and Armenia

Transcaucasia Adrift (November, 1917

Dilemmas (March-April, 1918)

War and Independence (April-May, 1918)

The Republics of Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia

The Suppliants (June-October, 1918)

In conclusion

Soviet Armenia

The Second Independent Republic of Armenia

Epilogue

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The Russian-Turkish Wars During the 19th century

The Russian conquests in the Caucasus and Eastern Armenia from Persia brought her in direct contact with the Ottoman Empire in Asia.

The Bosporus still attracted Russian attention in regard to the Orient, and Armenia was naturally part of this concern. "From this moment on an Armenian Question was created between Russia and the Ottoman Empire, a question which for a long time had remained hidden and unclear, but which eventually was forced into the light." 26

In addition, the new border between Russia and the Ottoman Empire which ran through Armenia, resulted in the 19th century in a war in Armenia alongside the chief Russian-Ottoman war in the Balkans and Crimea.

The first Russian-Ottoman war during the 19th century (not taking into account the war between 1808 and 1812) was ignited between 1828 and 1829. The basis for this war was the Russian involvement in the Greek revolt against the sultan. This war finished in a Russian victory in the Balkans which forced the sultan to sign a peace treaty and officially recognize an independent Greece, and was followed by yet another brilliant coup in Armenia where Marshal Paskevitch led the Caucasian forces, in which the Armenian units participated, to victory. 27

The Russian chief commander, who led an army of 25,000 men (leaving behind 15,000 men in the Caucasus for the defence against an eventual Persian assault), started from Gyumri and took the city of Kars. He then went north and conquered the cities of Akhaltsikh and Ardahan.

In the spring of 1829 the Turks, who had mustered a large army, attacked first Kars and then Akhaltsikh. Paskevitch, having defeated this army, advanced from Kars, marching with his 20,000 men towards Erzurum. Two Turkish armies were sent to face him in the mountainous region of Soghalon (near Sarighamish). With supreme skill, Paskevitch placed himself between the two Turkish armies, so that though they fought against a common enemy in the same battle they could not receive much help from each other In the end, Paskevitch defeated one army after the other during three coherent battles.

These victories opened the road towards Erzurum and, by the end of July, he took the city almost without resistance. While Paskevitch sent some units towards the cities of Bayberout, Gumushkhane and Khnus and prepared an assault on Sivas, the Ottomans, who were reeling after losing the war in the Balkans, suddenly agreed to sign a peace treaty in Andrinople (September 1829). According to this treaty, the Ottoman Empire recognized an independent Greece. On the Asiatic front, the hostility and possessiveness of England forced Russia to content herself with the annexation of the Poti province and a narrow strip of land consisting of the cities of Akhaltsikh and Akhalkalak.