Turkish invasion of Georgia

Turkish involvement

As the Soviet invasion of Georgia began, the Turkish Nationalist government adopted a careful yet broad-based approach toward the Northern part of Turkey (from what is now referred to as the Republic of Turkey) and the regional powers with whom it shared borders.^[6] To do so, the Turkish government looked for a partner or ally in the Soviet Union to help resist the advances of the Western nations. Additionally, as a result of the disintegration of the South Caucasus states, including Georgia, Turkish leaders looked to take advantage of this situation by seizing land disputed between Turkey and Georgia.^[7]

Due to the escalation of hostilities between Russia and Georgia, diplomats in Tbilisi offered to give up the provinces of Ardahan and Artvin to Turkey in exchange for military assistance or at least neutrality. As a result of this agreement, Turkish troops commanded by Kâzım Karabekir on the Eastern Front entered Georgian territory and occupied Ardahan, Artvin, Ardanuç, and Oltu by 23 February. After Tbilisi fell to Russian forces, Turkish forces moved forward to regain areas of Georgia that had been lost since 1828. By the time Georgian forces had reached Akhaltsikhe on March 7, Turks had already occupied Akhalkalaki and the south-western outskirts of Batumi, facing little opposition from the small Georgian military units present in these areas. However, the Turkish advance came to a halt on March 8 when Dmitry Zhloba and the Red Army's 18th Cavalry Division arrived in Akhaltsikhe, which marked an important change in the fight for control of Georgia.^[8]

Massacres by the Turkish Army

In February 1921, during the Turkish invasion, massacres of the civilian population ensued in Ardahan.^[9][10] The Caucasian Greek inhabitants in the villages of Peperek/Beberek and Toroskhov (modern Çetinsu and Çimenkaya), who were protected by Georgian Army, stayed in their villages even after the departure of the Georgian troops.^[9][10]

It is estimated that around 120 Greek families (750+ people^[11]) were annihilated in the hands of Turkish soldiers in those villages.^[10] A few survivors who managed to escape the onslaught fled to the port of Batumi, heading to Greece,^[9] which was conducting humanitarian operations in the Lesser Caucasus since 1919.^[12]

Fall of Western Georgia

Although the Armenian nationalists in the February Uprising provided indirect assistance to Georgia,^[13] the Soviet forces were able to gain control of Surami, along with the rapid advance of Soviet forces from Abkhazia and Racha, which made the remaining Georgian-held territory impossible to defend. The remnants of Georgian forces in Abkhazia crossed the Inguri River into Zugdidi on March 8.^[14] Zugdidi fell to the Soviets on March 9. Meanwhile, the Mamisoni Group, which had entered Georgia from Oni, destroyed a small Georgian detachment that was stationed in Meqvena and outflanked Kutaisi from the northwest. The 98th Rifle Brigade from Surami entered Kutaisi after approximately two hours of fighting on March 10. While the government of Georgia evacuated Kutaisi and moved to Batumi, some 3,000 Georgian troops fled toward Samtredia, accompanied by armored trains.^[8]

In spite of these setbacks, Commander-in-Chief of the Georgian army, Giorgi Kvinitadze, formed a new strategy to continue fighting against the Soviets. His strategy was to have all remaining combat capable units retreat to the Rioni River and cross into the mountainous region of Guria and Adjara. Kvinitadze believed that these areas offered the best opportunities for creating new defensive positions to resist the advancing Soviet army. If this strategy did not work, Kvinitadze would concentrate the government and remaining troops in the well-fortified port city of Batumi, while also using the port city as a refuge from the advancing Soviet forces. However, the last strategic plan of Georgian military leadership failed largely due to the Turkish invasion of Batumi and Ajaria. Between 11th and 17th of March, the Turks under Kazim Bey entered the city, took over some of the forts of its defense system and tried to take over all other forts still in Georgian hands.^[15]

Retreat to Batumi

Despite Turkish promises for neutrality, the Turks violated their obligation and further invaded Akhaltsikhe, Akhalkalaki, and Adjara on March 11.^[16][17] They occupied those regions, with the aim of annexing them to Turkey.^[16] This is widely seen as a betrayal and a demonstration of Turkish treachery by Georgians.^[18]

The Bolsheviks wanted to avoid a confrontation with Turkey but were willing fight rather than to give up those regions to the Turks.^[19] With defeat imminent, the Georgian government sent representatives to Kutaisi to negotiate a ceasefire with the Red Army command which was also overstretched and scattered.^[20] An agreement was reached on 14 March giving the Georgian authorities several days to demobilise the remaining units of the Georgian army and evacuate Batumi to Constantinople (Istanbul).^[21]

On 17 March, the members of the Georgian national government and senior military leadership and thousands of soldiers and civilians left for two French ships and one Italian ship anchored at the Batumi harbour to be ready for departure the next morning.^[22] The Georgian troops still based in Batumi were put under the command of General Giorgi Mazniashvili who would supervise their demobilisation.^[19] That same day, against the terms of the Treaty of Moscow which was signed a day before, Kazım Bey, commander of Turkish troops in the region surrounding Batumi, declared Batumi under Turkish administration and appointed himself governor-general. He demanded the disarmament of the surviving Georgian troops.^[23]

The Bolsheviks approached Giorgi Mazniashvili, the general of Georgian Democratic Republic, to retake Batumi. In a conversation, Bolshevik leader Sergo Orjonikidze told Mazniashvili to side with Bolsheviks or face repression as the Menshevik general. Giorgi Mazniashvili agreed by replying: "I am neither Menshevik nor Bolshevik general, I am a general of Georgia". He organized a military force from the remnants of disorganized and disoriented Georgian army.^[24] Mazniashvili ordered his troops to attack the Turkish forces and push them out of the city.^[25] He was supported by a Red Army division and the local communists. Russian troops were sent into the city, but they did not fight.^[19]

On March 18–19, the Georgian units under the command of General Giorgi Mazniashvili fought against the Turkish soldiers commanded by Kazim Karabekir and managed to defeat them. On March 20, the Turks left Batumi.^[26][27] After defeating the Turks, Mazniashvili handed over the city to the newly established Bolshevik regime of Georgia.^[28]