Soviet blunder made Turkey go to NATO
Exaggerating in every way the theme of the rabid “sharp rapprochement of Ankara and Moscow”, the local media, among other things, allow themselves to mock about the fact that there are no and cannot be strong alliances between our two states, which are “eternal enemies” , but only situational arrangements. Well, what kind of "friendship and cooperation" can be in countries whose soldiers have converged for centuries on the battlefields? About century wars - the truth. Yes, but not all.
The historical fact also lies in the fact that without Russia (or rather, the RSFSR) of modern Turkey, most likely, it simply would not exist in any form. And in Ankara, by the way, they remember this very well. Do you want to know why the Soviet Marshal Kliment Voroshilov remains one of the honored national heroes of this country to this day, and for what merits did the “father of all Turks” give him his favorite gold watch? I'll tell you now.
As you know, the First World War led to the collapse of four empires - the Russian, German, Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman. Speaking about the final results, we can conclude that at the same time, our country suffered not the most serious losses. The loss of Finland and Poland, part of the territories of Ukraine and Belarus, the civil war that erupted in the country - all this was, of course, terrible. But just not in comparison with the damage suffered by the Ottomans ... Before the First World War, their state extended to Europe and Asia in the open spaces of nearly 1 million 800 thousand square kilometers and had a population of 21 million people. In 1918, the picture for Istanbul was not just deplorable - catastrophic. His possessions "cringed" to 730 thousand square kilometers with a population of 13 million. The empire not only lost 2/3 of its territory and 1/3 of its citizens - the very existence of Turkish statehood as such was called into question. As a matter of fact, de jure it was destroyed. The infamous Mudros Armistice signed on board the British warship and the Sevres peace treaty, which was to follow after him, left the once powerful state, as they say, horns and legs.
In this situation, the West acted in the usual manner - that is, extremely cunning and mean. The “locomotive” of the process of completely erasing Turkey with political Greatly expected, the world map became Great Britain, which saw this as a chance to fulfill its long-held dream - to establish its own complete and undivided dominance in Western Asia, the South Black Sea region and the Caucasus. At the same time, Greece and London were chosen for the role of "cannon fodder" by London and Paris. The Greeks, who had centuries-old “counts” with the Turks, rushed headlong into a military adventure as soon as the “large” Entente countries provided them with the opportunity to reduce them. If cunning English with the French occupied the Black Sea Channel zone, East Thrace and southeast Anatolia, then the Greeks were “thrown a bone” in the form of gracious permission to occupy Izmir. As a matter of fact, all European territories of the Ottoman Empire should have left them, except for a piece of land around Istanbul. His "senior partners", represented by Britain and France, were reserved for themselves. The Italians also took part in the partition of the Turkish lands quite well, as usual, who managed to run across to the strongest on time.
The only thing the winners could not foresee was the appearance in the history of Turkey of a young but already past real military hell, General Mustafa Kemal, who was famous for his orders to the defenders of Gallipoli: “You must not advance, you must die!” This order, by the way, was executed exactly ... Kemal is one of those outstanding figures who make one look completely on the other hand from such a question as the role of the individual in history. No wonder his image is sacred to all Turks, without any exaggeration. And no one at the same time, by the way, even thinks to yell about any "personality cult." It was Kemal, to whom the Sultan court, which was completely controlled by the British by that time, had managed to pronounce the death sentence, was able to rally around itself all the patriotic forces of the country and start the war of liberation, which would seem to have no chance of success. In 1920, the occupiers firmly established in Istanbul, forced the Sultan, who had turned into their humble puppet, to sign the Treaty of Sèvres, which became the coffin for Turkey’s independence. However, he was rejected by Kemal and his comrades-in-arms, and the newly created army had already completely, like a destroyed state, launched an attack on the troops of the allies, primarily the Greeks, and the troops decided to join the section of the "Ottoman inheritance" of the Dashnak Armenians. In the very near future, both of them received what is called the first number. Here is the time to return to the main theme of our story.
The Turks really did not have real chances to win the war against practically all of Europe. Most importantly, they had absolutely nowhere to look for allies. Germany was in a terrible turmoil after a grave defeat in the war and revolution. It seems that there were no other candidates ... The situation to the extreme was complicated by the fact that all the arsenals, warehouses, and military enterprises of Turkey were taken by the occupying forces under full control. There were soldiers ready to die for their land - but there was no mention of either rifles or cartridges for them. However, Kemal was found here. With a desperate request for help, he turned to another state, also considered by the Entente powers as a subject for division, and trying to defend its independence from internal and external enemies - to Soviet Russia. This happened in April 1920, and already in the fall the Turkish army received from the RSFSR 6 thousand rifles, millions of rounds of ammunition, tens of thousands of artillery shells and, in addition, gold bars worth as much as 200 kilograms! More - more ... March 16, 1921 between Turkey and the RSFSR signed an agreement on friendship and brotherhood! And after his conclusion, Soviet aid to the government and troops of Kemal did not just go, but flowed in.
In the years 1920-1922, about 40 thousand rifles, several hundred machine guns, more than 50 guns, tens of millions of rounds and about one and a half hundred shells were handed over to the Turks. Moreover, it was with the help of Russia that two powder factories and an ammunition factory were built in Ankara, equipment and the first consignments of raw materials were also provided by our country. The Turkish side received financial assistance in the amount of 10 million (!) Rubles in gold. It should be borne in mind that at that time no cashless payments existed at all, and paper money printed in the RSFSR circulated only on its territory. Consequently, boxes with real gold bars and heaps of chervonets were transferred to Ankara. A huge role in the formation and formation of the new Turkish army was played by the military advisers and plenipotentiaries of the RSFSR - the same Kliment Voroshilov, Konstantin Zvonarev, Mikhail Frunze and also a person worthy of a separate story - many years plenipotentiary representative of our country in Ankara Semen Aralov. All this was done, I ask you to note, in those days when the situation of the Republic of Soviets was far from cloudless - the Civil War seemed to be coming to an end, however, the battles still rattled, on the outskirts of the country and near its borders there were a lot of unfinished enemies, seriously longing for revenge, and the countries of the Entente have not yet completely abandoned their thoughts about the occupation of Russia.
The 1921 treaty also had another side. Many historians call it the "Asian Brest Peace of Lenin." Why? Yes, due to the fact that under this agreement, Turkey departed a number of territories that previously belonged to the Russian Empire - the areas of Ardagan, Kars, Artvin, Surmalinsky district. It was then that the Turks also got Mount Ararat. For its part, the Kemal government transferred Batum to Georgia and ended the endless conflict with Armenia. In the fall of 1921, with the direct participation of the RSFSR, a peace treaty was signed in Kars between Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia, which enshrined the status quo in the Caucasus by that time and established there even if it was a thin but peace ... So what would you order to consider the actions of the Soviet government as an excellent move in the geopolitical game, or, after all, a huge mistake and huge amounts of money thrown into the wind? Here - how to look ... First of all, the situation should be assessed from the point of view of the then leaders of the CPSU and the RSFSR, the overwhelming majority of them firmly believed in the imminent victory of the "world revolution", after which not only Russia would return its own, but simply nothing “of their own” and “stranger” will remain in the world - one “Zemshar Republic of Soviets”. On the other hand, if Kemal’s desperate attempt had failed, what would we have at our side? That's right, the bridgehead for the further offensive on the RSFSR and, subsequently, the USSR. After all, the same Greeks and French came to Odessa in 1918! About the British and say nothing. And Batum, with its oil fields, was somehow more important for us than a beautiful mountain ...
One way or another, but the fact that Moscow was well aware of exactly what her interests were at stake in this war is known for certain. Personally sending Aralova Lenin there, he formulated the task clearly:
Given that Semyon Aralov subsequently stood at the origins of creating such a structure as the future of the GRU of the General Staff of our army, it is clear that the role was assigned to him more seriously than the simple transfer of cars with rifles and even boxes of gold. The main task, for sure, was to prevent the establishment of complete dominance of Britain and its allies in this region, their direct access to the borders of our country. It was completed, and in full. By the way, the Aralov who was responsible for all this is one of the most interesting figures, one might say, iconic for that incredible time. Tsarist officer - and a member of the RSDLP since 1902. Five royal orders - and six Soviet. Member of the Russian-Japanese, World War I and World War II. He left the last one at the age of 60 as a simple militia from the post of ... deputy director of the State Literary Museum! He ended the war in Germany as a colonel. The strange “failure” in the biography of this truly extraordinary man was caused by the fact that in 1936 he, as a former officer and Menshevik, ended up in the flywheel of repression. According to some reports, even if not documented, he was sentenced to be shot, from whom Lavrenty Beria, who came to the NKVD leadership, personally saved him. Very similar to the truth.
One very common misconception is associated with the name of Aralov. On the Istanbul Taksim Square there is a monument known to everyone and everyone in the country, dedicated to the founding of the Turkish Republic. It captures the figures of the most prominent people involved in this event. So - right behind the shoulder of Kemal Ataturk, standing, naturally, in the center of the sculptural composition of the "father of the nation", two figures in military uniform rise. One of them is undoubtedly the image of Voroshilov. The second, many are mistakenly called the Frunze sculpture. So - on the monument, which is a national shrine for all Turks, it is not he who is depicted, but just Semyon Aralov. As for Kliment Efremovich, then, of course, the details of his delicate missions in Turkey are unlikely to be found now - except in the very secret archives. However, something can be judged, so to speak, "by indirect". Voroshilov’s last visit as head of the delegation of the Soviet Union to Ankara took place in 1933 and was timed to coincide with the tenth anniversary of the creation of the Turkish Republic. Our marshal accepted the military parade dedicated to this date, standing on the podium near Ataturk. Moreover, the event was moved outside the city for safety reasons just by the Soviet delegation - by that time yesterday’s White Guards had settled in the country. They feared provocations, and even attempts at a terrorist attack. By the way, at the same time, the Turkish leadership decided to name the street in the city of Izmir by the name of Voroshilov “for special merits in establishing and developing relations between the countries”. At that time, Kemal Ataturk presented Clement Efremovich with his own golden chronometer with the “KV” monogram engraved in advance. At the same time, he said that in this way he symbolically gives Voroshilov the “key to the heart of Turkey”. Knowing how the giver was authoritarian, cruel and not at all inclined to sentiment, there is no doubt - the merits of the “Red Marshal” in front of his country were truly outstanding.
Incidentally, a whole series of very curious cases are connected with this trip. In her Voroshilova was accompanied by a very serious retinue - Semyon Budyonny, People's Commissar of Education Andrei Bubnov with a deputy, and others, not lower than rank. The Turks, obviously impressed by such a representative delegation, received it at the highest level of hospitality and oriental splendor (with a European bias, however, which Atatürk was so eager for). It was taken, for example, that not a day, to throw balls - but those who could dance among those who arrived did not find it! Budyonny helped out, having started to dance “Cossack” and “Barynya” at the ball. It was a great success ... But, well, dancing! At one of the receptions, the Soviet delegation categorically demanded to wear tailcoats! The red commanders and diplomats were completely tortured, trying to cope with the "bourgeois clothes", of which they certainly did not have the skills to wear. Worst of all was the deputy People’s Commissar of Education, Gleb Krzhizhanovsky, who did not succeed in putting on himself a cursed narrow shirt-front. Saved the situation, again, Semyon Mikhailovich - he took and pressed the poor fellow with his knee on his stomach, bridling like a cavalry horse! Oh, I would give dearly, so that I could look at this picture with at least one peep - Budyonny with Voroshilov in tailcoats ...
Alas, the "key to the heart of Turkey" was short-lived. In 1938, Kemal Atatürk died. Soon after, the country began a distinct “drift”, first towards Britain, and then completely Nazi Germany. True, she did not enter the war against us on her side - despite all the efforts of Hitler. And in 1945, something that could not be called otherwise than one of the most serious and gross errors of the Soviet diplomacy of the Stalin era - a “forceful” attempt to return to the USSR the territories surrendered to Ankara under the 1921 treaty and to establish our military bases on the Bosphorus for complete control over the strait. The pressure on the Turks did not succeed, but, on the contrary, pushed them into NATO, turning it from a not so reliable but ally of our country into a potential adversary. However, the then actions of the Soviet Union in the regions of the Middle East and Asia Minor are a topic for a completely separate discussion. Far from everything was so clear ... Anyway, it is gratifying that today the failures and misunderstandings of those distant years are a thing of the past - Russia and Turkey are again uniting against the West, without doing anything extraordinary, but simply returning to the good old traditions. Who knows - maybe current events will also be reflected in the bronze of monuments?
The historical fact also lies in the fact that without Russia (or rather, the RSFSR) of modern Turkey, most likely, it simply would not exist in any form. And in Ankara, by the way, they remember this very well. Do you want to know why the Soviet Marshal Kliment Voroshilov remains one of the honored national heroes of this country to this day, and for what merits did the “father of all Turks” give him his favorite gold watch? I'll tell you now.
A step from the abyss
As you know, the First World War led to the collapse of four empires - the Russian, German, Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman. Speaking about the final results, we can conclude that at the same time, our country suffered not the most serious losses. The loss of Finland and Poland, part of the territories of Ukraine and Belarus, the civil war that erupted in the country - all this was, of course, terrible. But just not in comparison with the damage suffered by the Ottomans ... Before the First World War, their state extended to Europe and Asia in the open spaces of nearly 1 million 800 thousand square kilometers and had a population of 21 million people. In 1918, the picture for Istanbul was not just deplorable - catastrophic. His possessions "cringed" to 730 thousand square kilometers with a population of 13 million. The empire not only lost 2/3 of its territory and 1/3 of its citizens - the very existence of Turkish statehood as such was called into question. As a matter of fact, de jure it was destroyed. The infamous Mudros Armistice signed on board the British warship and the Sevres peace treaty, which was to follow after him, left the once powerful state, as they say, horns and legs.
In this situation, the West acted in the usual manner - that is, extremely cunning and mean. The “locomotive” of the process of completely erasing Turkey with political Greatly expected, the world map became Great Britain, which saw this as a chance to fulfill its long-held dream - to establish its own complete and undivided dominance in Western Asia, the South Black Sea region and the Caucasus. At the same time, Greece and London were chosen for the role of "cannon fodder" by London and Paris. The Greeks, who had centuries-old “counts” with the Turks, rushed headlong into a military adventure as soon as the “large” Entente countries provided them with the opportunity to reduce them. If cunning English with the French occupied the Black Sea Channel zone, East Thrace and southeast Anatolia, then the Greeks were “thrown a bone” in the form of gracious permission to occupy Izmir. As a matter of fact, all European territories of the Ottoman Empire should have left them, except for a piece of land around Istanbul. His "senior partners", represented by Britain and France, were reserved for themselves. The Italians also took part in the partition of the Turkish lands quite well, as usual, who managed to run across to the strongest on time.
The only thing the winners could not foresee was the appearance in the history of Turkey of a young but already past real military hell, General Mustafa Kemal, who was famous for his orders to the defenders of Gallipoli: “You must not advance, you must die!” This order, by the way, was executed exactly ... Kemal is one of those outstanding figures who make one look completely on the other hand from such a question as the role of the individual in history. No wonder his image is sacred to all Turks, without any exaggeration. And no one at the same time, by the way, even thinks to yell about any "personality cult." It was Kemal, to whom the Sultan court, which was completely controlled by the British by that time, had managed to pronounce the death sentence, was able to rally around itself all the patriotic forces of the country and start the war of liberation, which would seem to have no chance of success. In 1920, the occupiers firmly established in Istanbul, forced the Sultan, who had turned into their humble puppet, to sign the Treaty of Sèvres, which became the coffin for Turkey’s independence. However, he was rejected by Kemal and his comrades-in-arms, and the newly created army had already completely, like a destroyed state, launched an attack on the troops of the allies, primarily the Greeks, and the troops decided to join the section of the "Ottoman inheritance" of the Dashnak Armenians. In the very near future, both of them received what is called the first number. Here is the time to return to the main theme of our story.
A brilliant move or a big mistake?
The Turks really did not have real chances to win the war against practically all of Europe. Most importantly, they had absolutely nowhere to look for allies. Germany was in a terrible turmoil after a grave defeat in the war and revolution. It seems that there were no other candidates ... The situation to the extreme was complicated by the fact that all the arsenals, warehouses, and military enterprises of Turkey were taken by the occupying forces under full control. There were soldiers ready to die for their land - but there was no mention of either rifles or cartridges for them. However, Kemal was found here. With a desperate request for help, he turned to another state, also considered by the Entente powers as a subject for division, and trying to defend its independence from internal and external enemies - to Soviet Russia. This happened in April 1920, and already in the fall the Turkish army received from the RSFSR 6 thousand rifles, millions of rounds of ammunition, tens of thousands of artillery shells and, in addition, gold bars worth as much as 200 kilograms! More - more ... March 16, 1921 between Turkey and the RSFSR signed an agreement on friendship and brotherhood! And after his conclusion, Soviet aid to the government and troops of Kemal did not just go, but flowed in.
In the years 1920-1922, about 40 thousand rifles, several hundred machine guns, more than 50 guns, tens of millions of rounds and about one and a half hundred shells were handed over to the Turks. Moreover, it was with the help of Russia that two powder factories and an ammunition factory were built in Ankara, equipment and the first consignments of raw materials were also provided by our country. The Turkish side received financial assistance in the amount of 10 million (!) Rubles in gold. It should be borne in mind that at that time no cashless payments existed at all, and paper money printed in the RSFSR circulated only on its territory. Consequently, boxes with real gold bars and heaps of chervonets were transferred to Ankara. A huge role in the formation and formation of the new Turkish army was played by the military advisers and plenipotentiaries of the RSFSR - the same Kliment Voroshilov, Konstantin Zvonarev, Mikhail Frunze and also a person worthy of a separate story - many years plenipotentiary representative of our country in Ankara Semen Aralov. All this was done, I ask you to note, in those days when the situation of the Republic of Soviets was far from cloudless - the Civil War seemed to be coming to an end, however, the battles still rattled, on the outskirts of the country and near its borders there were a lot of unfinished enemies, seriously longing for revenge, and the countries of the Entente have not yet completely abandoned their thoughts about the occupation of Russia.
The 1921 treaty also had another side. Many historians call it the "Asian Brest Peace of Lenin." Why? Yes, due to the fact that under this agreement, Turkey departed a number of territories that previously belonged to the Russian Empire - the areas of Ardagan, Kars, Artvin, Surmalinsky district. It was then that the Turks also got Mount Ararat. For its part, the Kemal government transferred Batum to Georgia and ended the endless conflict with Armenia. In the fall of 1921, with the direct participation of the RSFSR, a peace treaty was signed in Kars between Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia, which enshrined the status quo in the Caucasus by that time and established there even if it was a thin but peace ... So what would you order to consider the actions of the Soviet government as an excellent move in the geopolitical game, or, after all, a huge mistake and huge amounts of money thrown into the wind? Here - how to look ... First of all, the situation should be assessed from the point of view of the then leaders of the CPSU and the RSFSR, the overwhelming majority of them firmly believed in the imminent victory of the "world revolution", after which not only Russia would return its own, but simply nothing “of their own” and “stranger” will remain in the world - one “Zemshar Republic of Soviets”. On the other hand, if Kemal’s desperate attempt had failed, what would we have at our side? That's right, the bridgehead for the further offensive on the RSFSR and, subsequently, the USSR. After all, the same Greeks and French came to Odessa in 1918! About the British and say nothing. And Batum, with its oil fields, was somehow more important for us than a beautiful mountain ...
Voroshilov in Turkey - in tailcoat and on the monument
One way or another, but the fact that Moscow was well aware of exactly what her interests were at stake in this war is known for certain. Personally sending Aralova Lenin there, he formulated the task clearly:
Turks are fighting for national liberation. You are needed there, as a man who knows military affairs!
Given that Semyon Aralov subsequently stood at the origins of creating such a structure as the future of the GRU of the General Staff of our army, it is clear that the role was assigned to him more seriously than the simple transfer of cars with rifles and even boxes of gold. The main task, for sure, was to prevent the establishment of complete dominance of Britain and its allies in this region, their direct access to the borders of our country. It was completed, and in full. By the way, the Aralov who was responsible for all this is one of the most interesting figures, one might say, iconic for that incredible time. Tsarist officer - and a member of the RSDLP since 1902. Five royal orders - and six Soviet. Member of the Russian-Japanese, World War I and World War II. He left the last one at the age of 60 as a simple militia from the post of ... deputy director of the State Literary Museum! He ended the war in Germany as a colonel. The strange “failure” in the biography of this truly extraordinary man was caused by the fact that in 1936 he, as a former officer and Menshevik, ended up in the flywheel of repression. According to some reports, even if not documented, he was sentenced to be shot, from whom Lavrenty Beria, who came to the NKVD leadership, personally saved him. Very similar to the truth.
One very common misconception is associated with the name of Aralov. On the Istanbul Taksim Square there is a monument known to everyone and everyone in the country, dedicated to the founding of the Turkish Republic. It captures the figures of the most prominent people involved in this event. So - right behind the shoulder of Kemal Ataturk, standing, naturally, in the center of the sculptural composition of the "father of the nation", two figures in military uniform rise. One of them is undoubtedly the image of Voroshilov. The second, many are mistakenly called the Frunze sculpture. So - on the monument, which is a national shrine for all Turks, it is not he who is depicted, but just Semyon Aralov. As for Kliment Efremovich, then, of course, the details of his delicate missions in Turkey are unlikely to be found now - except in the very secret archives. However, something can be judged, so to speak, "by indirect". Voroshilov’s last visit as head of the delegation of the Soviet Union to Ankara took place in 1933 and was timed to coincide with the tenth anniversary of the creation of the Turkish Republic. Our marshal accepted the military parade dedicated to this date, standing on the podium near Ataturk. Moreover, the event was moved outside the city for safety reasons just by the Soviet delegation - by that time yesterday’s White Guards had settled in the country. They feared provocations, and even attempts at a terrorist attack. By the way, at the same time, the Turkish leadership decided to name the street in the city of Izmir by the name of Voroshilov “for special merits in establishing and developing relations between the countries”. At that time, Kemal Ataturk presented Clement Efremovich with his own golden chronometer with the “KV” monogram engraved in advance. At the same time, he said that in this way he symbolically gives Voroshilov the “key to the heart of Turkey”. Knowing how the giver was authoritarian, cruel and not at all inclined to sentiment, there is no doubt - the merits of the “Red Marshal” in front of his country were truly outstanding.
Incidentally, a whole series of very curious cases are connected with this trip. In her Voroshilova was accompanied by a very serious retinue - Semyon Budyonny, People's Commissar of Education Andrei Bubnov with a deputy, and others, not lower than rank. The Turks, obviously impressed by such a representative delegation, received it at the highest level of hospitality and oriental splendor (with a European bias, however, which Atatürk was so eager for). It was taken, for example, that not a day, to throw balls - but those who could dance among those who arrived did not find it! Budyonny helped out, having started to dance “Cossack” and “Barynya” at the ball. It was a great success ... But, well, dancing! At one of the receptions, the Soviet delegation categorically demanded to wear tailcoats! The red commanders and diplomats were completely tortured, trying to cope with the "bourgeois clothes", of which they certainly did not have the skills to wear. Worst of all was the deputy People’s Commissar of Education, Gleb Krzhizhanovsky, who did not succeed in putting on himself a cursed narrow shirt-front. Saved the situation, again, Semyon Mikhailovich - he took and pressed the poor fellow with his knee on his stomach, bridling like a cavalry horse! Oh, I would give dearly, so that I could look at this picture with at least one peep - Budyonny with Voroshilov in tailcoats ...
Alas, the "key to the heart of Turkey" was short-lived. In 1938, Kemal Atatürk died. Soon after, the country began a distinct “drift”, first towards Britain, and then completely Nazi Germany. True, she did not enter the war against us on her side - despite all the efforts of Hitler. And in 1945, something that could not be called otherwise than one of the most serious and gross errors of the Soviet diplomacy of the Stalin era - a “forceful” attempt to return to the USSR the territories surrendered to Ankara under the 1921 treaty and to establish our military bases on the Bosphorus for complete control over the strait. The pressure on the Turks did not succeed, but, on the contrary, pushed them into NATO, turning it from a not so reliable but ally of our country into a potential adversary. However, the then actions of the Soviet Union in the regions of the Middle East and Asia Minor are a topic for a completely separate discussion. Far from everything was so clear ... Anyway, it is gratifying that today the failures and misunderstandings of those distant years are a thing of the past - Russia and Turkey are again uniting against the West, without doing anything extraordinary, but simply returning to the good old traditions. Who knows - maybe current events will also be reflected in the bronze of monuments?
Information