Batumi Conference
The Batumi Conference was an international conference that involved the Republics of the Transcaucasus, represented by the delegation of the Transcaucasian Seim on one side, and the Ottoman Empire on the other. The head of the Transcaucasian Seim's delegation was Akaki Chkhenkeli, while the Ottoman delegation was led by the Empire's Minister of Justice, Halil Bey. Other Georgian members of the Transcaucasian delegation included N. Nikoladze, S. Kedia, and Z. Avalishvili.
The German delegation, headed by General Otto von Lossow, acted as an intermediary during the conference. Petre Surguladze accompanied the Germans as an adviser. He was also the chairman of the Committee of Independent Georgia.
The Batumi Conference opened on May 11, 1918.
On April 27, 1918, the two allied states participating in World War I, Germany and the Ottoman Empire, signed a secret treaty in Istanbul. This treaty gave the Ottoman Empire the opportunity to press new demands for active territorial expansion.
At that time, the government of the Transcaucasus agreed with the terms of the Brest-Litovsk Treaty. However, it became apparent that the Ottoman Empire was no longer satisfied with those conditions and began to make new demands. The Ottomans wanted to occupy the uyezd of Kars, Artaani (modern Ardahan), Artvin, and Batumi; as well as the uyezd of Akhalkalaki, Alexandropol (modern Gyumri), Yedisan, and Surmalu. This would have meant the occupation of Georgia, effectively restoring the border of 1828.
The political entities of the Transcaucasus could not reach a consensus in determining their foreign policy. Georgia was leaning towards Germany, Armenia was pro-Britain, and Azerbaijan considered the Ottoman Empire as its ally. The conference clearly revealed that the existence of an alliance among the Transcaucasian states was absolutely unfeasible. It became apparent that, under the circumstances, Georgians, Armenians, and Azerbaijanis would each need to take care of their own survival.
The Georgian part of the Caucasian delegation was supported by the prior agreement reached with Germany in 1914, and by the fact that in November 1917, the governments of the Central Powers once again confirmed their willingness to recognize Georgia's state independence if it was declared. The National Council of Georgia supported the idea of independence and started making preparations for it. At that time, aligning with the German foreign policy was the only correct political decision. The head of the Caucasian delegation, Akaki Tsereteli, officially addressed the head of the German delegation, General von Lossow, and received formal approval for the mediation mission on May 19, 1918. At the Batumi Conference, it became clear that Georgia’s relationship with Germany would only have a solid foundation if Georgia became as an independent state.
On May 20, 1918, Noe Zhordania, the chairman of the Georgian National Council, arrived in Batumi. He had a meeting with Otto von Lossow, during which they discussed specific issues regarding Georgia-Germany relations.
It was at the Batumi Conference that the issue of the immediate declaration of Georgia’s state independence was placed on the agenda, which was successfully carried out on May 26, 1918.
Literature: ბ ე ნ დ ი ა ნ ი შ ვ ი ლ ი ა., საქართველოს ისტორია, თბ., 1999. ვ ა ჩ ნ ა ძ ე მ., გ უ რ უ ლ ი ვ., საქართველოს ისტორია, XIX-XX საუკუნეები, თბ., 2014. საქართველოს დემოკრატიული რესპუბლიკა, (1918-1921). ენციკლოპედია-ლექსიკონი, თბილისი, 2018; საქართველოს ისტორია, XX საუკუნე, (სახელმძღვანელო ისტორიის ფაკულტეტის სტუდენტებისათვის), თბილისი, 2009; 5 ს ვ ა ნ ი ძ ე მ., ბათუმის კონფერენცია და საქართველოს დემოკრატიული რესპუბლიკის დაბადება, ქართული დიპლომატია, წელიწდეული 6, თბ., 1999. ს უ რ გ უ ლ ა ძ ე ა., ს უ რ გ უ ლ ა ძ ე პ ., საქართველოს ისტორია, თბილისი, 1991; ს უ რ გ უ ლ ა ძ ე პ., საქართველოს დემოკრატიული რესპუბლიკის დაბადება, სამეცნიერო კრებულში ,,მეისტორიე“, მთავარი რედაქტორი რ. მეტრეველი, თბილისი, 2019; ჯ ა ნ ე ლ ი ძ ე ო., საქართველოს ახალი და თანამედროვე ისტორია, თბილისი, 2009.
P. Surguladze
