User:Lemabeta/Battle for Batumi

Battle for Batumi - The battle for the city of Batumi in 1921 between the Democratic Republic of Georgia and Turkey

During the Russian-Georgian war of 1921, Turkey demanded Artvin and Ardagan from Georgia as an ultimatum. The Georgian government did not accept this ultimatum, but evacuated the towns because they could not fight on two fronts. Turkish troops occupied the towns on February 23, which the Georgian government did not legally recognize. After that, the claims of the Turkish side seemed to end and they offered to help Georgia in the fight against the Russian Bolsheviks. On March 11, units of the Turkish army entered Batumi. Their goal was to capture the Batumi region instead of helping the Georgians against Soviet Russia. Negotiations between Soviet Russia and Turkey continued in Moscow, culminating in the March 16, 1921 Treaty of Moscow. According to this agreement, the Batumi district was still completely occupied by Georgia, but by Soviet Georgia. The Russian-Georgian war was coming to an end, with a small number of Georgian units stationed in the Batumi district and on the Sajavakho line. One detachment of the Russian army under the leadership of Dimitri Zhloba passed through the Goderdzi ridge and entered Batumi, Russian troops reached Georgian troops from behind.

On March 17, according to Turkish troops in Batumi, Kiazim Karabekir declared himself governor of the Batumi district, with Turkish troops occupying barracks, the post-telegraph office, the militia and other buildings. On March 17-18, as a result of the Kutaisi talks, the Russian-Georgian war ended by occupation of Georgia. According to the decision of the Constituent Assembly of the Democratic Republic of Georgia, the government fled and did not legally recognize the occupation of the country. One of the main goals of the Kutaisi talks was to expel Turkish troops from Batumi after the end of the war. On March 18-19, the Georgian units in the city, under the command of General Giorgi Mazniashvili, fought the Turkish army and managed to defeat them. On March 20, the Turks left Batumi. 84 Georgian soldiers were killed in the battle.