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In June 1920, during the conference in Spa, the allies again met to discuss the Armenian Question. The notes of the allies, with the signature of Millerand (French prime minister), which were sent on June 17, read thus on Armenia: "The Armenians have been massacred with unprecedented violence. During the war, the Ottoman government's massacre, deportation and assault of the prisoners have only been surpassed by its earlier acts in these matters. It is estimated that from 1914 until now, the Ottoman government, under groundless accusations of revolt, have murdered 800,000 Armenian men, women and children while more than 200 000 Greeks and 200 000 Armenians have been exiled or driven away from their homes. The Ottoman government has not only refused to fulfil its duties concerning the protection of its non-Turkish subjects in the Empire regarding plunder, oppression, violence, assault and murder, but there is ample evidence that the government itself is guilty of the planning and coordination of the most violent attacks against these peoples, whose protection the government should have been responsible for… For the same reasons, the allies cannot insert any changes in the paragraphs concerning the creation of a free Armenia."

On June 22, the treaty was ratified by the imperial council in Constantinople, with only one vote against..



Finally, on August 10, 1920, the signing of the peace treaty between Turkey and the allies took place in the guest hall of the china factory in Sevres, a suburb south west of Paris. A. Aharonian 36, who represented the Republic of Armenia, at last no longer a de facto state but recognised officially and internationally, signed the Sevres Treaty, containing two important paragraphs concerning Armenia:

§ 88 Turkey declares that, following the allies earlier recognition, it acknowledges Armenia as an independent and free country.

§ 89 Turkey and Armenia and also the other countries which have signed this treaty approve that the decision concerning the borders between Armenia and Turkey in the provinces of Erzurum, Trabizond, Van and Bitlis should be assigned to the president of the USA and they approve his decision in this matter and also all decisions concerning facilitating Armenia's access to open seas and the demilitarisation of the Ottoman territories adjacent to Armenia.

Some months later, on November 22, 1920, President Woodrow Wilson presented his decision concerning the borders between Armenia and Turkey, whereby Armenia was given the majority of the provinces of Van (where the Armenians had a absolute majority until 1914) and Erzurum and Bitlis (where the Armenians had a relative majority until 1914) and a part of the Trabizon province in order to give Armenia access to the open seas.

Before long, however, a chain of events unfolded which prevented the implementation of the items in the Sevres Treaty (as discussed below).



When a new conference was held in November 1922, in Lausanne, to revise the items in the Sevres Treaty, the situation had turned to the advantage of Turkey. According to Winston Churchill: "The allied army in 1918, at the table of peace negotiations had won a total victory against Turkey, but during the course of four years, nagging politicians let this victory become defeat."