April 26, 1915, Treaty of London at the Paris Peace Conference

(at discussions of April-May of 1919)

April 26, 1915, Treaty of London was signed by France, Russia, Great Britain and Italy. It had been discussed at the Paris Peace Conference in April-May of 1919. The agreement served as the basic for Italian claims that its army should replace British regiments in the Caucasus and should get its share in the Asian part of the Ottoman Empire. The Great Britain and France respected the Treaty of London in Europe, but didn't want an Italian expedition to the Caucasus. The USA were rejecting this secret document, to which they had never been a part.¹ Talks of April 19-21, 24, of May 5-6, 13-14, 17, 19-22, 31 were hot and important.

Only on the 6th and 13th of May W.Wilson had casually mentioned a mandate for the whole Turkey and one mandate for the whole. His partners flatly disagreed. By their assertion, President of the USA had always to choose between Armenia with Constantinople or Anatolia. In the memorandum of May 21st D.Lloyd George had alloted for the USA full mandate over Armenia, Cilicia, Constantinople and the Straits with a provisional mandate over Russian Armenia, Azerbaijan, and the Caucasus pending stabilization of the Russian state. It was large and rich region, but not the whole Ottoman Empire.²

Diplomats of not yet recognized Republic of Armenia tried to represent their national needs and interests. They submitted official reports to the secretariat of the Peace Conference, participated at the 1st Armenian National congress, had formal conversations with Emir Feisal and on April 17th with W.Wilson, had conducted on April 4-11, at Tiflis, their parleys with commanders of the British forces. Some estimations and letters from Paris were precise and reliable, although overall predictions of the nearest future were excessively optimistic. The main problem and wrong consisted in the expectation, that national problems of vital importance would be solved from without, namely, by the Paris Peace Conference.³

Notes

1) Agreement between France, Russia, Great Britain and Italy, signed at London, April 26, 1915. Papers relating to the foreign relations of the United States. In 2 vols. Vol.I: 1917, supp.2 The world war. Wash., GPO, 1932, p.497; “Current History,” 1920, March, vol.IX, p.II, p.499; vol.XI, p.500; Documents on British foreign policy 1919-1939. Ed.by E.L.Woodward, R.Butler. 1st series. Lnd., HMSO, 1947, vol.I, p.84-85, vol.IV, p.241-248 (following: British Documents); Ключников Ю.В., Сабанин А.В. Международная политика новейшего времени в договорах, нотах и декларациях. Ч.II От империалистической войны до снятия блокады с Советской России. М., Наркоминдел, 1926, с.40-43, 84-85; «Հայաստանի ավտոնոմիան» յեվ Անտանտան: Վավերագրեր իմպերիալիստական պատերազմի շրջանից: Յերեվան, Պետհրատ, 1926, էջ 50-53; Лазарев М.С. Крушение турецкого господства на Арабском Востоке (1914-1918 гг.). М., Восточная литература, 1960, с.126-137, 191-192; Акопян С.М. Западная Армения в планах империалистических держав. Ереван, АН Арм.ССР, 1967, с.197-222; Hovannisian R.G. The Allies and Armenia, 1915-18. “Journal of Contemporary History,” Lnd., 1968, vol.3, № 3, p.145-168; Հայկական հարց: Հանրագիտարան: Երևան, Հայկական հանրագիտարան, 1996, էջ 36-37, 397-398:

2) US NA, RG 256, 180.03401/10½, 13½, 13½/App.1-2, 15½; 15½/App., 17-20, 17/App., 18½, 19/App.1, 20½, 20½/App.3, 22½, 33, 37¼, 38-43, 43/App.3, 101, 108-110, 118/App./1, 123, 130, 137-138, 138/App.3, 143-145, 148, 148/App.4; Great Britain, Foreign Office archives. Public record office, class 371 political (following: FO, 371), 91135, 94556, 102249/3251/117; FO 371-3667, 84449/11067/58, FO 371-4180, 82836/2117/44; Papers relating to the foreign relations of the United States. 1919. The Paris peace conference, vol.V, p.3, 6-7; vol.6; British Documents, vol.3, 337-338; vol.4, p.1, 251-258, 1093-1097, 1100-1101.

3) National archives of Armenia, fund 199, register 1, document 12, folio 110, 144-150; doc.22, f.83-83A; fund 200, reg.1, doc.35, f.123-127A; reg.2, doc.49, f.1-3, 5; doc.50, f.1-4; doc.51, f.1-9; doc.55, f.1-5; fund 4033, reg.2, doc.962, f.39-44; doc.1021, f.1-7; doc.963, f.130-136.