Caucasian War

The Caucasian War is the so-called beginning of the dissolution of the Soviet Union with the break away of the Armenian, Azerbaijani and Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic along with the North Caucasian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republics of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic.

Sparked by the increased Stalinist policies of Georgy Malenkov which sought to reverse the policies of Korenizatsiya and Razmezhevanie and suppress non-Russian cultures, these angers came to a head during the Kurdish War of Independence when the Soviets forced the Armenians, Azerbaijanis and Georgians to aid in the establishment of the People's Republic of Kurdistan, which in turn annexed historically Armenian, Azerbaijani and Georgian land. This left many in those Soviet Republics feeling use by the Soviet Union as such began a full scale rebellion and war of independence from the Soviet Union.

## Participants

**Communist Forces:**

* Soviet Union: Georgy Malenkov
* People's Republic of Kurdistan: Qazi Muhammad
* Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic: Hakob Zarobian
* Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic: Vali Akhundov
* Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic: Aleksandre Mirtskhulava

**Transcaucasian Army:**

* Abkhazia: Mikhail Bgazhba

* Armenia: Anton Kochinyan
* Azerbaijan: Abulfaz Elchibey
* Chechnya: Abukhadzhi Idrisov
* Circassia: Nukh Berzegov

* Georgia: Eduard Shevardnadze
* Lazistan: Aleksandr Tkhilaishvili
* Ossetia: Bilar Kabaloyev

**Nationalist Supporters:**

* France: Michel Debré
* Germany: Henning von Tresckow
* United Kingdom: Harold Macmillan

## Timeline

-March 1st, 1960: Azerbaijani Soviet Socialist Republic,
Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic, and Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic angered with the Kurds taking historically Azeri, Armenian and Georgian
territory and feeling betrayed by the Soviet Union collectively declare their
independence. They form the Transcaucasian Army. They are aided by Abkhazians,
Ossetians, Circassians and Chechens in the northern Caucasus. This begins the
Caucasian War. They are supported by Iran in exchange for returning some of the territory that was taken during the Kurdish War of Independence. They also
receive support from the Democratic Alliance as well as British, German and French
troops and supplies. These regions supplied the Soviet Union with much of its
oil as such the Democratic Alliance strongly advocated for their independence,
hoping it would weaken the Soviet Union.

-March 10th, 1960: Malenkov is outraged by the Caucasus
break away and orders all Russian troops to defend the Caucasus as well as
orders the Eastern Bloc nations to send supplies. While he received support
from many ethnic Russians, other ethnic groups denounced him as such he
received little of the military support he called for.

-May 20th, 1960: Soviet Russian troops begin mounting on
the North Caucasian border.

-July 1st, 1960: Chechen forces are massacred by Russian
forces, this causes a large public outcry.

-August 30th, 1960: Circassian rebels capture the city
of Sochi. This begins a mass emigration of Circassians from all over the Middle
East to support their fellow Circassians.

-September 1st, 1960: Soviet forces begin to slow,
morale was extremely low as many disliked Malenkov, the Transcaucasian Army had
received heavy funding and supplies from the West and North Caucasian
Insurgents had been effective in their guerilla warfare as they knew the
mountainous terrain. Fighting continues but little ground is taken.

-November 10th, 1960: The southwestern provinces of
Georgia declare their independence as the Republic of Lazistan.

-November 15th, 1960: The Abkhazian Autonomous Region
declares its independence from Georgia as the Republic of Abkhazia.

-November 20th, 1960: The South Ossetian Region declares
its independence from Georgia as the Republic of South Ossetia.

-December 1st, 1960: In response to the surge of
breakaway movements in Georgia, Transcaucasian forces are redirected to help
put down these riots. Lazistan, Abkhazia and South Ossetia appeal to the Soviet
Union for aid.

-December 10th, 1960: The Democratic Alliance agrees to support the Transcaucasian Army and has the United Kingdom, France and Germany dispatch reinforcements and supplies to the Georgian
Port City of Poti.

-January 5th, 1961: Transcaucasian forces with the aid
of British troops recapture Lazistan.

-February 20th, 1961: Transcaucasian forces with the aid
of British troops recapture South Ossetia.

-April 30th, 1961: Transcaucasian forces with the aid of
British troops recapture Abkhazia.

-May 5th, 1961: The Treaty of Sukhumi is signed between
Transcaucasian forces and Abkhaz, Ossetian and Laz forces. They agree to an
anti-communist pact against the Soviet Union.

-August 10th, 1961: A massive purge of ethnic Russians
living in Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia takes place.

-August 20th, 1961: Transcaucasian forces merge with the
North Caucasian insurgents including the Chechens, Ossetians and Circassians.

-September 5th, 1961: The newly united Transcaucasian
forces begin pushing north through the Caucasus mountains against Soviet
forces. While extremely outnumbered many Soviets felt disillusioned with the
conflict and the Soviet Union and deserted during the advance. Many non-ethnic
Russians in the Soviet Army begin deserting the conflict.

-December 1st, 1961: The League of Nations demands the
Soviet Union stand down regarding the Caucasian War threatening military action
and international boycott.

-December 10th, 1961: Malenkov begrudgingly accepts the
Transcaucasian Army’s demands and grants them independence. This ends the
Caucasian War.

## Post-War Events

-December 30th, 1961: The Transcaucasian Army dissolves
into the Republic of Armenia, Republic of Georgia and the Republic of
Azerbaijan. The insurgent forces are divided into the Republic of Abkhazia,
Republic of Lazistan, and the Soviet Republics of Adygea, Karachay-Cherkessia
and Kabardino-Balkaria unite to the form the Republic of Circassia. The Soviet
Republic of North Ossetia-Alania unites with South Ossetia to form the Republic
of Ossetia. The Soviet Republics of Ingushetia, Dagestan and Chechnya unite to
form the Islamic Republic of North Caucasia.

-January 30th, 1962: The Republic
of Georgia annexes the Republic of Lazistan.

-February 10th, 1962: The Republic
of Georgia invades the Republic of Abkhazia.

-February 11th, 1962: The newly
formed Republic of Circassia declares war on Georgia. The Republic of Ossetia
sides with Georgia.

-April 1st, 1962: Georgian forces capture Abkhazia.

-April 10th, 1962: Georgian forces invade the Republic
of Circassia.

-April 15th, 1962: The Republic of Armenia demands a
ceasefire from Georgia fearing that the newly independent Caucasian states
could easily be annexed by the Soviets again if they turned on one another.

-April 30th, 1962: Georgian forces stand down on their
invasion of Circassia. However, they retain Lazistan and Abkhazia which become
autonomous regions.

-May 10th, 1962: The Treaty of Yerevan is signed by
Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Circassia, Ossetia and North Caucasia. This
establishes the Caucasian Confederation, an organization that served as a
miniature League of Nations but for Caucasian countries only.

-June 10th, 1962: One of the first projects of the
Caucasian Confederation was between the Republic of Armenia and Republic of
Azerbaijan concerning a population transfer between ethnic Azeris in Armenia and
Armenians in Azerbaijan. They also agree to a land swap with Armenian annexing Nakhchivan
and Azerbaijan annexing Nagorno-Karabakh.