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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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Final Negotiations and the Treaties of Batum

As Armenian troops were advancing toward Hamamlu and Alexandropol, Khatisian's delegation hastened to Batum. The Turkish ultimatum to the Transcaucasian Federation was to expire at eight in the evening on May 29. Arriving on that day, Khatisian immediately sought an interview with Halil Bey, during which he pointed out that the ultimatum had been sent to a government no longer existent. Halil abruptly clarified the matter by stating that the ultimatum was still in effect and now pertained separately to each of the Transcaucasian states. Because of the substantial which had taken place, however, he agreed to extend the deadline for another twenty-four hours. 38 The following day Khatisian informed Halil of the National Council's decision to declare itself the supreme Armenian governing body, of his delegation's authorisation to conclude peace, and of acceptance of the Turkish conditions as the basis for further discussion. Several hours later the Batum Conference between the Ottoman Empire and the "Armenian Republic" convened. 39

During the negotiations on territorial questions, the Turkish delegates drew the boundary between Transcaucasia and the Ottoman Empire without stipulating how much of the frontier was to be shared with each of the three Republics. Nor was any considerations given to the internal divisions of Transcaucasia. Apparently the Ottoman tactic was to gain as much land as possible without becoming involved in intra-Transcaucasian conflicts. It was suggested that the republics settle that problem among themselves. Thus Khatisian's attempts to secure Ottoman support for Armenian pretensions to the southern parts of the Tiflis guberniia and the mountainous portions of Elisavetpol guberniia were stymied from the outset. The Ottomans, by the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, had already retrieved the three sanjaks ceded to Russia in 1878. now, by insisting on possession of Akhalkalak and Akhaltsikh of the Tiflis guberniia, the Empire would extend to its 1828 boundaries. But the expansion was not to cease even at that point, for, in annexing over half of the Yerevan guberniia, the Ottoman domain would stretch farther east than it had for centuries past. Halil and Vehib, the "moderate" element of Ittihad ve Terakki, offered the Armenians the uezd of Novo Bayazid and parts of the Yerevan, Etchmiadzin, and Alexandropol uezds. The Republic of Armenia was to encompass an area of approximately 6,400 square kilometres. 40

Vehib's explanation of the Ottoman point of view demonstrated that the dedication of Ittihadist leaders to the ideal of Pan-Turan now burned more strongly than ever: "You see that the destiny draws Turkey from the West to the East. We left the Balkans, were also leaving Africa, but we must extend toward the East. Our blood, our religion, our language is there. And this has an irresistible magnetism. Our brothers are in Baku, Daghestan, Turkestan, and Azerbaijan. We must have a road toward those areas. And you Armenians are standing in our way. By demanding Van, you block our road to Persia. By demanding Nakhichevan and Zangezour, you obstruct our descent into the Kur Valley and our access to Baku. Kars and Akhalkalak seal our routes to Kazakh and Gandzak [Ganja]. You must draw aside and give us room. Our basic dispute rests on these grounds. We need two broad avenues which allow us to advance our armies and to defend ourselves. One of these routes is Kars-Akhalkalak-Borchalu-Zangezour, leading to Gandzak; the route passes over Sharur-Nakhichevan-Zangezour to the Kur Valley. You may remain between these two, that is, around Novo Bayazid and Etchmiadzin." 41 Khatisian protested that the limited territories left to the Armenians could not supply even the most elemental necessities of life, that the Armenian question, being an international problem, should not be "solved" in this manner, and that the suggested boundaries would cause eternal enmity between the two peoples. Vehib replied that Turkey would happily invite all Moslems in the Republic to emigrate in order to giver the Armenians more room. He conceded that the Armenian question had been international; it was just for that reason that the Ottoman government had decided to sanction the independence of the new state. There was no need to speak of eternal enmity, for all nations began their existence in a small area and then gradually expanded. Time would take care of that problem. What was now most imperative was laying the foundations for Turco-Armenian friendship and mutual defence. 42