Today in History – 2 December

The Treaty of Alexandropol is signed

Following the Turkish forward operation that commenced on September 28, 1920, the cities of Sarıkamış, Kars, Ardahan, Artvin, Batum and Iğdır were reclaimed from Georgians and Armenians; Alexandropol (Gümrü) was captured on November 7th. Peace negotiations thus began on November 22nd and the Treaty of Alexandropol was signed on the evening of December 2, 1920.

In response to Armistice press member Ali Kemal’s comment on the reclaiming of Alexandropol, “There is no doubt that such adventures will bring us closer to disaster,” Commander of the Western Front İsmet Pasha said the following to his closest friend Kâzım Karabekir:

The Eastern operation has revived our cause. We were so pressed and constricted that we absolutely needed some room to breathe.

The Treaty of Alexandropol essentially made Armenia a shadow state under the auspices of Turkey. Although the Treaty was not implemented, as it was never sanctioned, it was replaced by the Treaties of Moscow and Kars, which ensured the security of the borders and brought peace to the area for many years.

Another trait of the Treaty of Alexandropol is that it constitutes the first international treaty signed by the Grand National Assembly. Armenia was the first foreign country to recognize the Assembly and the National Pact and to accept that Treaty of Sèvres was void and meaningless. Consequently, guns were largely silenced on the Eastern Front and the guns and ammunition taken from the Armenians were transferred to the west. Most importantly, Soviet aid could be transmitted by way of land.