The Battle of Erzurum in 1918 was a significant military engagement during the closing stages of World War I in the Caucasus region. The battle took place between the Armenian and Ottoman forces, resulting in the capture of Erzurum by the Ottoman army led by Kazim Karabekir.
Battle[]
The Armenian forces, though outnumberd , faced difficulties in offering effective resistance against the Ottoman troops. The historian Firuz Kazemzadeh noted in his monograph "The Struggle for Transcaucasia (1917-1921) " that the Armenians, known for their brutal tactics against civilian populations. General Andranik, entrusted with the defense of Erzurum, failed to prevent the disintegration of his troops, becouse of the fack they had no food left. The Armenians civilians surrendered Erzurum with minimal resistance.[6]
In March 1918, General Andranik arrived with a 400 men from the Special Division to reinforce the deteriorating situation in Erzurum. The Armenian captain Torkom, known as an "Armenian Don Quixote," had proclaimed the independence of Armenia, marked by a cannon salute of 101 shots. This act was met with opposition from Russian officers and the declared hostility of the city's 20,000 Muslims. The combat conducted by the fedayeen fighters led by Mourad and Torkom's cavalry could not halt the advance of the Ottoman army, supported by local Kurdish tribes.[7]
Despite the presence of a fortress and artillery, Andranik, a skilled guerrilla fighter, was unable to exploit these advantages, discipline his troops, or contain the panic among the Christians caused by the agitated Muslims influenced by the Naksibendi brotherhood. During a stormy war council, faced with the threat of encirclement, the decision to evacuate the city was made. Scenes of terror similar to those in Erzincan were repeated in Erzurum, which fell to the Ottoman army on March 12, 1918. Christians who did not flee were massacred.[7]
Massacre[]
During the chaotic events surrounding the Battle of Erzurum in 1918, atrocities were committed by both Armenian and Ottoman forces. Fueled by a sense of vengeance, the Armenian irregulars engaged in indiscriminate killings of Muslims, regardless of age or gender. They also resorted to looting and burning villages as they retreated along with the Armenian troops.[7] On the other hand, the Ottoman forces and Kurdish tribes also participated in acts of violence and massacres. The situation was further exacerbated by the general breakdown of order and the intense ethnic and religious tensions in the region.[7]
It is important to note that the massacres and atrocities committed by both sides during this period were sporadic and not representative of the entirety of the conflict. The events surrounding the Battle of Erzurum reflect the brutality and chaos thatengulfed the region during that time, with civilian populations suffering the consequences of the conflict.[7]
Notes[]
- ↑ (Minassian 2006, p. 61) "Une situation dégradée. Le capitaine Torkom, un «Don Quichotte arménien » a proclamé l'indépendance de l'Arménie et a marqué cet événement par une salve de 101 coups de canons"
- ↑ (Minassian 2006, p. 61-62) "Erzeroum, où L'armée turque pénètre le 12 mars 1918", "La chute d'Erzeroum"
- ↑ (Minassian 2006, p. 61) "Au cours d'un conseil de guerre orageux, devant la menace d'encerclement, on prend la décision d'évacuer la ville."
- ↑ Dumont, Paul (2023-03-30) (in fr). Mustafa Kemal invente la Turquie moderne (1919-1924). L'Archipel. ISBN 979-10-392-0348-7. https://books.google.com/books?id=BTG0EAAAQBAJ&dq=Erzurum+1918+kazim&pg=PT200.
- ↑ (Minassian 2006, p. 61) "De mars, le général Andranik arrive avec un millier d'hommes de la Division Spéciale. Il trouve à Erzeroum une situation dégradée."
- ↑ Mustafayev, Rahman (2019-11-06) (in fr). L'Azerbaïdjan entre les grandes puissances (1918-1920). L'Archipel. ISBN 978-2-84592-800-8. https://books.google.com/books?id=zBi_DwAAQBAJ&dq=Erzurum+1918+13&pg=PT30.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 (Minassian 2006, p. 61)
Books[]
- Minassian, Anahide Ter (2006) (in fr). 1918-1920, la République d'Arménie. Editions Complexe. ISBN 978-2-8048-0092-5. https://books.google.com/books?id=gQxjQCiEgFUC&dq=Erzincan+1918+kazim&pg=PA60.
The original article can be found at Battle of Erzurum (1918) and the edit history here.