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Kemal Atatürk skilfully played Turkey's backers off each other. The Red threat from Moscow held the European powers in its terror, convincing them that Europe was in imminent danger of falling under the communist sway of Lenin. Kemal Atatürk presented himself and the newly emerged Turkey to Lenin as wanting to break free from the "imperialistic band" of the Ottoman Empire. At the same time, he marketed his country to the West as the foremost barrier to halt the advance of communism, thereby clinching secret treaties and assistance from the western powers.

So posed, the Turkish national movement launched its war.

The war against Armenia, which had dared to make claims on the Armenian provinces in Western Armenia, was the top priority of the Turkish authorities.

After the signing of the Sevres Treaty, the Turks planned a decisive and conclusive attack on the new Republic of Armenia. Four Turkish armies were concentrated in the Erzurum region and in September 1920 they began the offensive on Olti and Sarighamish. Armenia in response ordered a general mobilisation, gathering 35 000 soldiers under the Armenian flag.

From the start of 1920, relations were warming between Ankara and the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union, disappointed with the defeat of the revolutionary movements in Europe, staged the next angle of attack on the European authorities by cooperating with eastern nationalists. 43

Meanwhile, Russia resumed its expansion southwards and recommence the conquest of Transcaucasia. In April 1920, the Red Army, with the assistance of the Turkish nationalists, conquered Baku and the whole of Azerbaijan. The new Azerbaijani Soviet Republic repeated its earlier claims to Karabakh and Zangezour. In August 1920, "The Congress of the Eastern peoples", under the leadership of Zinovief, Parlek, Belar Kun, and delegated by Enver Pasha, was established, marking the Soviet Union's endorsement of Kemal Atatürk's Turkey. Armenia therefore focused part of its forces on defending the eastern boundaries of the country against Soviet Azerbaijan, whilst preparing for the Turkish advance from the west.

During the months of September and October the Armenian army in the north held off the advance of the Turks. On October 14, the Armenian army in Novoslibili began a counteroffensive which would determine the outcome of the war. After an initial victory, the Armenian army could no longer immobilise the progress of the enemy. Over the following days, the Turkish army approached Kars and on October 30, following a swift manoeuvre of its right flank, took the fortress of the city.

The remaining Armenian forces in the north retreated towards Alexandropol. The Turks entered the city on November 7 and continued their advance towards Gharakilisa (Vanadzor). The eighth regiment of the Armenian army put up a heroic defence in the mountainous passage at Jarjour, the last glimmer of Armenian heroism along with the victorious defence of southern Yerevan, in the midst of the darkness of war in 1920, which rampaged for five years. 47