Friday, 20 April 2007

BATTLE OF SARDARAPAT

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Battle of Sardarapat
Part of Caucasus Campaign in the Middle Eastern Theatre (World War I)
DateMay 22-26 1918
LocationSardarapat, Armenia
ResultArmenian victory[1]
Combatants
Ottoman Empire Democratic Republic of Armenia
Commanders
Vehib PashaMovses Silikian
Strength
35,00040,000
Casualties
30,00030,000
Caucasus Campaign
Sarikamis – Malazgirt – Van – Koprukoy – Erzurum – Erzincan – Bitlis – Kara Killisse – Sardarapat – Bash Abaran – Baku

The Battle of Sardarabad was a battle of the Caucasus Campaign of World War I that took place in the village of Sardarapat, Armavir, Armenia in May 22-26, 1918.

Contents

[hide]

[edit] Background

Main article: Caucasus Campaign

Just two months after the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was signed, the Ottoman Empire attacked into what had been Russian-Armenian territory.[2] In violation of the Brest-Litovsk Peace Treaty with Soviet Russia, elements of the Fourth Army crossed the border in May 1918 and attacked Alexandropol (modern-day Gyumri). The Ottoman Army intended to crush the Democratic Republic of Armenia and seize Transcaucasia. The German government objected to this attack and refused to help the Ottoman Army in this operation.

At that time, only a small area of historical Armenian territory which used to be a part of the Russian Empire remained unconquered by the Ottoman Empire, and into that area hundreds of thousands of Armenian refugees had fled after the Armenian Genocide.

The Ottoman Forces began a three-pronged attack in an attempt to conquer Armenia. When Alexandropol fell, the Ottoman Army moved into the Ararat Valley – the heart of Armenia. There they ran into a large (6,000-man?) force under the command of General Movses Silikian.

[edit] Aftermath

Worried by the Ottoman invasion of Armenia, the Democratic Republic of Georgia to the north asked for, and gained, German protection. The Democratic Republic of Armenia was forced to sign the Treaty of Batum in June 4, 1918, since the Army of Islam held positions 7 kilometers from Yerevan and only 10 kilometers from Etchmiadzin. Two days later, after the battle of Sardarapat on May 28, 1918 Armenian National Council in Tiflis proclaimed the independence of the Republic of Armenia which existed until the Bolshevik takover of Armenia in November 1920, and has been called by Armenian historians as the First Republic.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Committee Prints - Page 5 by United States. Congress. House. Select Committee on Communist Aggression
  2. ^ Source: Armenian Highland "The Battle of Sardarapat : ", chronicle 225 (1997-2006)

[edit] Sources

  • Source: Martin Gilbert "The First World War : A Complete History", pg. 422 (1991?)
  • Source: Armenian Highland "The Battle of sardarapat : ", chronicle 225 (1997-2006)
  • Source: Hrant sarkisov "Shoulder to shoulder : (May 26, 1918)
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Sardarapat"

Posted by Seta at 17:53

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