Territorial Disputes and the Balance of Power at the Batumi Peace Conference, 1918

Abstract

The Batumi Peace Conference of 1918 represents one of the crucial diplomatic events in the South Caucasus region in the post-World War I period, which significantly determined the issue of Georgia's state development and territorial integrity. The conference took place in May–June 1918, at a time when the Ottoman Empire still maintained strong military positions, while the South Caucasian republics—Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan—were striving to achieve independent political status following the collapse of the Russian Empire. The main theme of the conference centered on territorial disputes, particularly the ownership of the Batumi, Ardahan, and Kars regions. The Ottoman delegation, relying on military superiority, sought to expand its borders and consolidate its political influence on the eastern coast of the Black Sea. Conversely, the South Caucasian delegation attempted to protect its interests based on the principles of international law and the right to self-determination. The course of the Batumi Conference clearly demonst­rated that the region's political configuration was determined not only by the diplomatic skills of the parties but also by the international balance of power—the geopolitical environment where global powers (the Ottoman Empire, Germany, Great Britain, and Bolshevik Russia) confronted each other to expand their spheres of influence. Although the Georgian delegation was militarily weak, its diplomatic flexibility and constructive approach enabled it to obtain certain concessions and conclude a temporary agreement, which laid the groundwork for the declaration of Georgia's independence on May 26, 1918. The Batumi Peace Confe­rence was not merely a meeting for the redistribution of borders; it was a struggle for the recognition of state sovereignty and the acquisition of international legal status.