WORLD WAR I HAD SAD CONSEQUENCES FOR ARMENIA
PanARMENIAN.Net
13.11.2008 GMT+04:00
Among many other things, the World War I also went down in history
with the first mass killings of the peaceful population, which later
on was to be defined as "genocide".
On November 11 the whole world summoned up the end of the World War
I. In 1918 the world entered into the repartition process, which is
not yet over. It was at that time that a new diplomacy was put into
effect, and even 90 years later it has not finished yet. In total
the World War I resulted in the collapse of four empires: the German
Empire, the Russian Empire, the Dual Monarchy of Austro-Hungary and
the Ottoman Empire, the last two being divided, while Germany and
Russia ceased to be monarchies and were cut off in territory. However,
it was especially their weakness that led to the World War II.
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The World War I also went down in history with
the first mass killings of the peaceful population, which later on
was to be defined as "genocide". In November of 1914 the Ottoman
Empire joined Germany and Austria-Hungary in the war. The Young
Turks realized that the "Armenian, Assyrian and Greek" issues
could be hastily and quietly solved at wartime, and they did it with
unprecedented brutality. However, they were unable to accomplish their
goal quietly. Diplomats accredited in Ottoman Turkey sent telegrams
to their governments informing them about the ongoing slaughter and
the governments, in their turn, expressed indignation and sent notes
of protest to the Young Turks’ Administration. But it was already
late. By 1916 cleansing of "non-Turkish" population had been nearly
over. And those who still remained in Turkey received the final blow
from the Army of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, who established modern Turkey
on the bones of murdered Armenians and Greeks.
As a result of the War Armenia got 700 thousand refugees, illusive
hopes on returning its native lands and judgment against the
Young Turks. However, as usual, Armenians found themselves utterly
defeated. First, for some unknown reason two delegations instead of one
represented Armenia at the Paris Peace Conference, and they were unable
to reach one common viewpoint. Requirements of the Armenian delegations
were illegally ignored because of the so-called "pro-Russian" and
now "pro-Soviet" orientation of Eastern Armenia. The winner states
were not interested in Armenia. They were settling the problem of the
borders of new states that were organized on the territory of collapsed
empires. The only country that took notice of Armenia then was the USA.
In fact the World War I was finally concluded on signing in 1923
the Peace Treaty of Lausanne, which de-jure annulled the Sevr Treaty
concluded on 10 August 1920. According to the Sevr Treaty signed by
the states of the Entente, Armenia and Turkey the latter recognized
Armenia as a "free and independent country". Turkey and Armenia agreed
to appeal to U.S. President Woodrow Wilson for an arbitration award
on the Armenian-Turkish border within the Vilayets of Van, Bitlis,
Erzurum, and Trabzon and agreed to his terms on Armenia’s access to
the Black Sea (through Batum). Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan were
to establish their mutual borders through direct negotiations between
these countries, and in case of unfeasibility to reach an agreement
Allied powers were to mediate.
It was also intended to establish independent Kurdistan, whose borders
would be defined by England, France and Turkey. According to the Sevr
Treaty Turkey was to have only 30-35% of its present-day territory. In
fact, the only thing that Armenia was left with is the arbitration
award of Woodrow Wilson, which is not subject to time restriction
and cannot be appealed in any international court.
It was exactly then that President Wilson formulated his well-known
"The 14 points of New Diplomacy", one of which says: "Every people
has a right to self-determination.", and not a word about territorial
integrity. That principle appeared only after the World War II.
Another sad result for Armenia was the Brest-Litovsk Treaty signed
between Soviet Russia and Germany on 3 March 1918. It finally put an
end to independent Armenia within the boundaries of Woodrow Wilson.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
