The Battle for Baku May-September 1918 : A Peculiar Episode in the History of the Caucasus

Authors : Bülent GÖKAY

Pages : 21-45

Doi:10.1501/Intrel_0000000121

View : 13 | Download : 11

Publication Date : 1995-05-01

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :Whcn thc Bolshcviks seizcd powcr in Russia in Novcmbcr 19171 the First World War had alrcady been approaching its fourth ycar. Although thc Russian armics had controllcd thc regions of Transcaucasia and part of eastcrn Anatolia since 1916, on thc Europcan borders of Russia thc control vvas in the hands of the Central Powcrs. Tlıe armics of Gcrınany and Austro-Hungary had invadcd Russian Poland and had rcached thc borders of thc Ukrainc. It was not a surprise that the urgent task which the ncw regime in Pctrograd set for itsclf vvas that of pcacc. Thc Russian pcoplc wcrc wcary of fighıing. After four years of war there was a vvidcsprcad cry for pcace among thc Russian population. Thc soldiers particularly wantcd to return to thcir homes. In Lenin`s words, `the soldiers arc tircd out, thc soldiers are barcfootcd, thc soldiers arc starving, thc soldiers do not want to fight`.2 It is only logical in this context to understand vvhy in thc days prcccding the Novembcr Rcvolution thc Bolshcviks had promiscd pcacc.
Keywords : The Battle, Peculiar Episode, History of the Caucasus