The Issue of Georgia’s Borders in the Main and Additional Agreements of Bret-Litovsk

Abstract

This article concerns The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, which was signed
on March 3, 1918 between the Soviet Russia (the Russian Soviet
Federated Socialist Republic) and the powers of the Quadruple
Alliance (the German Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the
Ottoman Empire, the Kingdom of Bulgaria) and significantly determined
relations between Georgia and the Ottoman Empire in
the period 1918-1921.
We are interested in the fourth article of the basic treaty and the
second article of the supplementary treaty between Russia and Turkey,
both of which deal with Georgia, especially its borders. According
to the basic treaty the question of the political orientation
of Kars, Ardahan and Batumi should be discussed based on the
referendum. Thereport stressed that referendum was formal. In our
opinion this is confirmed by the supplementary treaty. According
to this, the border between Turkey and Russia (1877-1878) where
Ardahan, Batumi, and Kars belonged to Turkey must be restored.
According to these materials we conclude, that the result of referendum
was pre-determined and formal.