Democratic Republic of Armenia - Foreign Relations - Georgian-Armenian War

Georgian-Armenian War

In December 1918, Armenia and Georgia engaged in the Georgian–Armenian War 1918, which was a brief military conflict over the disputed border areas in the largely Armenian-populated Lori district along with some other neighboring regions. Both nations claimed the district, which Georgia had occupied after the Ottomans evacuated the area. Inconclusive fighting continued for two weeks. The Armenian offensive under Drastamat Kanayan (Dro) met some initial success but was finally halted. British mediation facilitated the end of the war, and resulted in the establishment a joint Armeno-Georgian civil administration in the "Lori neutral zone" or the "Shulavera Condominium".

Relations between Armenia and Georgia, however, remained tense. In the spring of 1919, American relief agency officials began to complain that Georgian officials, who demanded their own share of the provisions, were holding up railway traffic carrying vital supplies of flour and other foodstuffs to Armenia. Moved by their complaints and the debilitating food crisis in Armenia, Georges Clemenceau, as president of the Versailles Conference, issued a protest letter on July 18, calling on Georgia to cease further interference. Georgia issued its own protest to this communiqué, but by 25 July American officials were already reporting that rail traffic had begun to pick up. In autumn 1919, the two countries began negotiations for a new transit treaty.