Causasian Front in the Russian newspapers between (1914-1917)

The Caucasus was an important region in the expansionism of Tsarist Russia. Tsarist Russia, which dominated the North Caucasus at the end of the 18th century, added the South Caucasus to its lands with the annexation of Tbilisi in the first quarter of the 19th century, after the struggle with the Ottoman Empire and Iran. Tsarist Russia, which captured Kars, Ardahan, and Batum in the 1877-1878 Ottoman-Russian War, had the opportunity to carry out operations in Anatolia when it faced the Ottoman Empire again in the first world war. With the involvement of the Ottoman Empire in the First World War, the Russian Caucasian Army crossed the Turkish-Russian border in Eastern Anatolia. The Turkish 3rd Army was victorious in the Battles of Köprüköy and Azap. However, after the failure of the Sarıkamış Operation initiated by the 3rd Army on 22 December 1914, the Russian Caucasian Army had the opportunity to advance on the Caucasian Front. The Russian Caucasian Army, which occupied Van on April 17, 1915, gained superiority over the Turkish forces on the Eastern Black Sea coastline. Erzurum was occupied on February 16, 1916, despite the steadfast defense of the 3rd Army units. The left flank of the Russian Caucasian Army then occupied Muş on February 18, 1916, and Bitlis on March 3, 1916, while the right flank occupied Rize on March 7, 1916, Trabzon on March 17, 1916, Bayburt on July 16, 1916, Gümüşhane on July 22, 1916, and Erzincan on July 25, 1916. The 3rd Army had to struggle with food shortages and epidemics in this process. The Muslim population living in the region left their homes with the Russian occupation. Following the terms of the Erzincan Armistice signed on 18 December 1917, the Russian Caucasian Army withdrew from Anatolian lands. Russian newspapers, which have a deep-rooted tradition, undertook an essential role despite the military censorship program during the First World War. They have enriched the news content about the war with new attachments, titles, and topics. In addition to the daily official announcements of the Russian Caucasus Army Headquarters, the Russian newspapers carried the military activity to its pages day by day through many sources at the front. The Russian press also shared with the Russian public many issues such as the political, social, religious, economic, and ethnographic characteristics of the occupied Anatolian cities and their underground and aboveground riches. Russian newspapers, which included propaganda content, news, and articles, served the colonization activities of the Tsarist Russian state. In this study, Russian newspapers, which are important documents and witnessed the First World War and the Caucasian Front, were used as the main source. Furthermore, russian archival documents, Turkish and Russian research works, articles, and memoirs were also used to create a broader perspective.