Iran retakes Azerbaijan and Armenia during the Russian Civil War

[Ricardolindo]

Arguably, Iran missed a chance to retake Azerbaijan and Armenia during the Russian Civil War. Turkey was able to secure territorial gains during the Russian Civil War with the Treaty of Kars, Iran could have done so as well.
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azerb...e_Azerbaijan_Democratic_Republic_(April_1920):
"In order to escape the possibility of a Soviet invasion and an even greater imminent threat of an Armenian invasion, Muslim Nakhchivan proprosed annexing to Iran.[47] The then pro-British government in Tehran led by Vossug ed Dowleh made endeavours amongst Baku's leadership to join Iran.[47] In order to promote this idea, Vosugh ed Dowleh dispatched two separate Iranian delegations; one to Baku and one to the Paris Peace Conference in 1919.[47]"
So, Azerbaijan could have joined Iran in order to save themselves from the Soviets.
Is it conceivable that Armenia, faced with the Turkish threat, could have joined Iran as well?
That would basically be a reversal to the borders of Iran before the Treaties of Gulistan and Turkmenchay.
The problem I see is that oil from Baku was non-negotiable for the Soviets. I am not sure if the Red Army was strong enough to defeat Iran at this time, though.

 

[Ricardolindo]

@Jackson Lennock
@raharris1973
@Wendell

 

[Jackson Lennock]

The Soviets will have irridentist claims on it like they did Bessarabia, Kars, etc. But OTL they didn't take Kars from Turkey.

Menshevik Georgia may have better survival odds

 

[Ricardolindo]

The Soviets will have irridentist claims on it like they did Bessarabia, Kars, etc. But OTL they didn't take Kars from Turkey.

Menshevik Georgia may have better survival odds

The problem is that oil from Baku was non-negotiable for the Soviets. Lenin himself noted how the Soviets needed oil from Baku.
If the Soviets didn't take Azerbaijan and Armenia, I don't see why they would take Georgia, as it was taken later.

 

[Jackson Lennock]

The problem is that oil from Baku was non-negotiable for the Soviets. Lenin himself noted how the Soviets needed oil from Baku.
If the Soviets didn't take Azerbaijan and Armenia, I don't see why they would take Georgia, as it was taken later.

I come across this on Wikipedia

On 23 March 1920, Armenians in Karabakh and Yerevan began protesting.[18] The Azerbaijani government responded by deploying a significant portion of its army to the region, leaving Baku and the northern territories with limited protection.[17] Meanwhile, the Bolshevik Eleventh Army was advancing through the North Caucasus, including Dagestan, and approaching the borders of Azerbaijan.[16]

Furthermore

On 21 April 1920, Tukhachevsky issued the following directive for the 11th Red Army and the Volga-Caspian military flotilla to initiate an offensive towards Baku:

Azerbaijan's main forces are busy on the western side of the country. According to our intelligence, only a minor Azerbaijani force is defending the station of Yalama—Baku. In accordance with received directives, I order:

1. For the commander of 11th Army to cross the border Azerbaijan on April 27 and, in a quick offensive, to take control of the Baku province. Yalama—Baku operation to be concluded within 5 days. The cavalry units must be sent to take control of the Transcaucasian railroad around Kurdamir.

If the Azerbaijanis join Iran willingly, Iran would have more troops in the area than little Azerbaijan did historically. The Soviets would not be able to just march on in. I also suppose the British would stick a few troops in the area, since they would desire the oil of Baku.

I am unsure if the Armenians would be willing to join Iran. Armenia joined the USSR as a constituency in a federation. Even when there was a "Transcauasian SSR" Armenia was still an Autonomous Soviet Social Republic. Here, Armenia would only be a province, correct?

At the Paris Peace Conference, a dilemma was that nobody wanted to assume a mandate over Armenia. Perhaps Iran could get it.

 

[Wendell]

Armenia probably won't join Iran without assurances of control over specific lands Azerbaijan sees as its own. This might allow for Armenia to stay out of the USSR though. It will be interesting to see what having Baku, Elizavetpol, and Nakhichevan means for the longevity of the Qajar Dynasty and/or the possibility of Pahlavi tilting republican instead of monarchist after his OTL coup.

 

[Ricardolindo]

I come across this on Wikipedia



Furthermore




If the Azerbaijanis join Iran willingly, Iran would have more troops in the area than little Azerbaijan did historically. The Soviets would not be able to just march on in. I also suppose the British would stick a few troops in the area, since they would desire the oil of Baku.

I am unsure if the Armenians would be willing to join Iran. Armenia joined the USSR as a constituency in a federation. Even when there was a "Transcauasian SSR" Armenia was still an Autonomous Soviet Social Republic. Here, Armenia would only be a province, correct?

At the Paris Peace Conference, a dilemma was that nobody wanted to assume a mandate over Armenia. Perhaps Iran could get it.

Armenia probably won't join Iran without assurances of control over specific lands Azerbaijan sees as its own. This might allow for Armenia to stay out of the USSR though. It will be interesting to see what having Baku, Elizavetpol, and Nakhichevan means for the longevity of the Qajar Dynasty and/or the possibility of Pahlavi tilting republican instead of monarchist after his OTL coup.

According to this article https://www.kavehfarrokh.com/milita...rganization-of-the-iranian-army-in-1921-1941/, the Iranian Army was weak.

 

[NotDavidSoslan]

Arguably, Iran missed a chance to retake Azerbaijan and Armenia during the Russian Civil War. Turkey was able to secure territorial gains during the Russian Civil War with the Treaty of Kars, Iran could have done so as well.
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azerb...e_Azerbaijan_Democratic_Republic_(April_1920):
"In order to escape the possibility of a Soviet invasion and an even greater imminent threat of an Armenian invasion, Muslim Nakhchivan proprosed annexing to Iran.[47] The then pro-British government in Tehran led by Vossug ed Dowleh made endeavours amongst Baku's leadership to join Iran.[47] In order to promote this idea, Vosugh ed Dowleh dispatched two separate Iranian delegations; one to Baku and one to the Paris Peace Conference in 1919.[47]"
So, Azerbaijan could have joined Iran in order to save themselves from the Soviets.
Is it conceivable that Armenia, faced with the Turkish threat, could have joined Iran as well?
That would basically be a reversal to the borders of Iran before the Treaties of Gulistan and Turkmenchay.
The problem I see is that oil from Baku was non-negotiable for the Soviets. I am not sure if the Red Army was strong enough to defeat Iran at this time, though.

I guess Iran was to weak and divided at the time to do this successfully.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auton...s Government of Khorasan,, on October 6, 1921. I actually want do do a TL where Mohamed Taqi Pessian becomes the modernizing leader of Iran instead of Reza Shah, but this is tangential to your POD.

 

[TheIO]

Arguably, Iran missed a chance to retake Azerbaijan and Armenia during the Russian Civil War. Turkey was able to secure territorial gains during the Russian Civil War with the Treaty of Kars, Iran could have done so as well.
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azerb...e_Azerbaijan_Democratic_Republic_(April_1920):
"In order to escape the possibility of a Soviet invasion and an even greater imminent threat of an Armenian invasion, Muslim Nakhchivan proprosed annexing to Iran.[47] The then pro-British government in Tehran led by Vossug ed Dowleh made endeavours amongst Baku's leadership to join Iran.[47] In order to promote this idea, Vosugh ed Dowleh dispatched two separate Iranian delegations; one to Baku and one to the Paris Peace Conference in 1919.[47]"
So, Azerbaijan could have joined Iran in order to save themselves from the Soviets.
Is it conceivable that Armenia, faced with the Turkish threat, could have joined Iran as well?
That would basically be a reversal to the borders of Iran before the Treaties of Gulistan and Turkmenchay.
The problem I see is that oil from Baku was non-negotiable for the Soviets. I am not sure if the Red Army was strong enough to defeat Iran at this time, though.

Given that the Persian Socialist Soviet Republic got formed in Gilan OTL in 1920, isn't there a decent chance that Iran attempting to intervene directly into Russian Azerbaijan spirals in a Persian-Soviet War akin to the Polish-Soviet one?