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Rh change depended on foreign ability and experience, and when the British troops were withdrawn in Aug. 1919 Azerbaijan relapsed into administrative confusion. An inter-state control of railways only was provided with some success, as a matter vital to all Trans-Caucasia.

The Peace Conference of the Allies which began its sittings in Paris on Jan. 18 1919 did not greatly affect Azerbaijan, though the republic sent a delegation to represent its claims to large territorial extensions. The course taken by events in Trans-Caucasia before the Treaty of Sevres was finally drafted doubtless placed Azerbaijan outside the area to which it was thought treaty provisions could be applied. Except regarding frontiers in dispute between Azerbaijan and Armenia the Treaty of Sevres, therefore, avoided matters affecting the Tatar Republic. For these frontiers it provided that they should be settled by direct agreement between the states concerned; and, failing such agreement, they were to be determined by the principal Allied Powers.

The Conference gave, however, no little attention to the problems of Trans-Caucasia. Early in 1919 it offered Italy control of the whole area, she having many interests there; but the offer was declined after consideration. As an emergency measure the Supreme Council appointed an Allied high commis- sioner to prevent territorial disputes developing into hostilities between the republics; and by his influence neutral zones for the time being were established, and the situation was tempor- arily eased. But months passed and the Conference became more and more chary of intervening in Trans-Caucasian affairs, especially in view of Gen. Denikin's operation in Cis-Caucasia, and his aim of reuniting south-eastern Russia. Stated shortly the shadow of Russia Russia both of the present and of the future lay over the land and created an incalculable situation. De facto recognition was, however, accorded all three republics. It should be noted, further, that in the draft of the Treaty of Sevres the importance of Batum to Azerbaijan and Armenia was recognized by making the town and surrounding territory a free state under the League of Nations, and giving the inland republics definite rights in the port and of access by rail. But this plan fell through, and Batum was returned to Georgia, under an agreement confirming Azerbaijan and Armenia in the privileges they were to have received from the free state of Batum.

The Turkish Nationalist movement which became all-powerful in Anatolia in consequence of the Treaty of Sevres had a serious influence upon the republic of Azerbaijan. Nationalist Turkey and Soviet Russia each found itself opposed to the Allied Powers. They therefore followed a common policy up to a point; and Turkish Nationalism and Russian Bolshevism went hand in hand, supplying each other's needs as far as might be, whether of means, material or opportunity. Turkey sought to recover the provinces in Trans- Caucasia from which she had been ejected by the Allies in 1918; she also required munitions from Russia, and direct access to Azerbaijan and central Asia in execution of her Pan-Islamic ambitions. Russia had her own quarrel with

the Allies to pursue, and her revolutionary mission to accomplish where she could. The oil of Baku, further, was a necessity for her economic life. These different aims of both countries converged on Trans-Caucasia, and implied the bringing of Turkish and Russian territory to a coterminous frontier at least to a common frontier of effective control. Once this was attained all other things would be secured, including direct railway communication between Russia and Anatolia. Denikin had been driven out of Russia and now only the independent repub- lics of Azerbaijan, Erivan and Georgia stood in the way.

Russia therefore prepared to set up a Soviet Government in Azerbaijan, and under cover of this change reestablish Russian control first there, and afterwards in all Trans-Caucasia. On April 28 1920 the XI. Soviet Army from Cis-Caucasia, some 50,000 strong, entered Baku without fighting. Simultaneously a rising of local Bolsheviks declared the Republican Government deposed, and established in its place a Soviet Government in alliance with Moscow. The Russian army, it was said, had only come to place the proletariat of Azerbaijan upon its feet. Effective opposition to the revolution was found impossible. The Azerbaijan army was disbanded; a revolutionary committee set up which sent the members of the late Government and many leading anti-Bolshevik citizens to execution; and Bolshevik economic theories were rigorously applied. Having seized the railways and consolidated their position in the country the Bolsheviks attacked Georgia and Erivan across the frontiers of Azerbaijan, but were repulsed without much difficulty. Russia's campaign in Poland was in progress at the time, and not going well, and further aggressions in Trans- Caucasia were therefore suspended. During this pause a Tatar rising took place at Elisavetopol, in which several thousand Bolsheviks were massacred. The rising was promptly suppressed by Bolshevik troops; and they, aided by local Armenians, retaliated by massacring, it is said, some 15,000 Tatars of both sexes and all ages. From this affair arose the hatred which the Tatars of Azerbaijan have since displayed against the Bolsheviks.

Further Bolshevik and Turkish operations against Georgia and Erivan do not properly belong to Azerbaijan history, but they cannot be altogether ignored. Suffice to say that when Russia, in the autumn, was relieved of her Polish embarrassments, and the campaign of Gen. Wrangel from the Crimea had plainly failed, she and her Turkish Allies turned their attention once again to Trans- Caucasia. By the end of Nov. both Georgia and Erivan were crushed, and Soviet Republics, dependent on Moscow, established in place of the National Governments. Turkey regained the districts of Ardahan and Kars; in addition she was given the strip of Armenian territory through which passed the railway from Azerbaijan to the Turkish frontier; but Russia with an eye to her own future, insisted that Batum should form part of Georgia, and her will in the end prevailed. Russia, in fact, had recovered all but an insignificant portion of her Trans- Caucasian provinces; and Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Erivan ceased to exist as independent states, except in name.

(W. J. C.*)