ABSTRACT
The fate of the new republics established upon the ruins of the former Russian empire was first addressed by British Prime Minister David Lloyd George in his speech before Parliament on November 17, 1919. This speech reflected events taking place in Russia, particularly Kolchak’s defeat and Denikin’s retreat beginning in October 1919. Heavily funded, armed, and diplomatically protected by Britain and other Allies, Denikin’s volunteers surrendered Orel on October 20, Voronezh shortly after that, and Novokhopersk on November 12, 1919. By the end of 1919, it became clear that the White Guard’s aim to save Russia from Communist occupation was unattainable. Yudenich’s attempt to seize Petrograd failed, Kolchak was driven far into Siberia, and Denikin was retreating to the south and surrendering more and more cities. However, for Azerbaijan and Georgia, who had existed under the threat of being attacked by Denikin, the defeat of his army was now posing a new more terrible threat. Tadeusz Swietochowski correctly notes that the republics of the South Caucasus did not rejoice at Denikin’s defeat, as he and his men were giving way to a much stronger enemy in the form of the exultant Bolsheviks. 1 These complications did not mean that all of Azerbaijan and Georgia were waging a secret battle against Soviet Russia in an alliance with Denikin. Bolshevik leader Lenin’s inclusion of Azerbaijan and Georgia on a list of “fourteen different states” that launched a joint “attack” with Denikin against Soviet Russia had no basis. 2
