User:TurkTurkoglu/Erzincan Soviet

Erzincan Soviet was located within the Erzincan region (with larger borders than today's Erzincan provincial borders), which faced Russian occupation after the Battle of Erzincan, which took place within the scope of the Caucasus Front, one of the fronts that Ottoman Empire fought in during World War I. It was estabilished by local forces in 1916. It's foundation's main reason was the October Revolution in Russia that had occurred during the war, causing some local forces to take power and form it as with Russian withdrawal from Erzincan. It's also known the first Soviet government that was estabilished in former Ottoman territories. Erzincan Soviet is similar to many Soviet governments that were formed with the October Revolution.

Soviet Government was dissolved as a result of intervention by Kuvay-i Milliye forces. Some resources state that it was dissolved by Ottoman Army.

Background
During World War One, Ottoman Army faced many defeats in Caucasia Front that was created by Ottoman Empire. Thereupon, the army of approximately one hundred thousand people under the command of Enver Pasha took action to encircle the soldiers of Russian Army from behind and destroy them. For this purpose, Enver Pasha wanted to move the army through the Allahuekber Mountains. More than 20,000 Ottoman soldiers froze to death before they could even engage in combat, and some of them became disabled. Approximately 40 thousand Ottoman soldiers succesfully crossed the mountains and attacked the Russian army. Soldiers under the command of Enver Pasha, who suffered a heavy defeat in the attack, returned to Istanbul.

Due to heavy Ottoman defeat and their retreat, Russian Army advanced and occupied North of Eastern Anatolia and Eastern Black Sea region. Russian armies that arrived in Erzincan faced heavy resistance from people of Tunceli and local tribes. Irregular defenders succesfully managed to halt Russian advancement. Meanwhile retreating Ottoman 28th and 36th divisions were redeployed into Tunceli.

On 1917, Russian units located and positioned on Munzur, Sadak mountains and Çardaklı were plagued by Bolsheviks, thus facing issues with indisciplination and diserray. Events of February Revolution only caused the situation to worsen. Control of the regime was transferred to Transcaucasian Special Committee. And Russians were not wanting to fight againts civilians. Due to those issues, Russian attacks directed at Tunceli were unsuccesful.

Treaty of Erzincan
In 1917, October Revolution had taken place. Russian soldiers in Eastern Anatolia formed "revolutionary soldier councils" and arrested Tsarist officers and generals. After that, Bolshevik s had seized the control of Russian armies in Eastern Anatolia. Arshak Djamalian, an Armenian member of Georgian Social Democratic Party and "Workers' Soviet" was appointed as the leader of First Russian Army located in Tunceli. Military units known as First Guards' Army were created as a result. Military administration released Ottoman prisoners of war after educating and explaining them about principles of Communism. Then, propaganda units were formed in order to encourage local peoples' to take control of their own regions.

All warfare in Russia or fronts that Russia partipicated in were halted after Bolshevik takeover. Bolsheviks told Anatolian peoples' under their control that World War One was an "imperialist war" and it's main reason was to partition Ottoman territory by showing them the Sykes–Picot Agreement. Under orders from Soviet government, First Army signed the treaty of Erzincan with Ottoman Empire on December 17-18th, 1917. According to the treaty, Russian armies including Guard Units were to withdraw from Eastern Anatolia in three months. But Ottoman units weren't permitted to enter and occupy those territories that Russians withdrew from. This term would allow local peoples that were sympathetic to the Soviets to form their own local Soviet governments and Ottomans would not be able to intervene. But Enver Pasha's uncle and head of Ottoman negoitation commission stated that "This armistice agreement is doomed to remain on paper. These lands will eventually pass under Ottoman rule.".

Estabilishment
At the beginning of World War I, regions of Erzincan, Sivas and Trabzon, which were Ottoman lands, came under the occupation of the Russian army. These regions, which came under Bolshevik loyalist troops' occupation during the February Revolution during the war, were affected in the same way by the events that took place in other parts of former Russian Empire territories. Bolshevik soldiers arrested their officers, revolted, and established councils (soviets). One of these is the Erzincan Soviet government, which was established by Bolshevik soldiers in Erzincan, which was under Russian occupation during the war.

Dissolution
Tunceli was surrounded and sieged from all sides. After the defeat of people of Koçgiri who called themselves "Western Tunceli" and were aligned to Soviet administration in Yeşilyazı, Soviet Government was dissolved on 1921..