Capture of Kars (1918)
The Capture of Kars was a military operation during the Caucasus campaign of World War I, in which Ottoman forces captured the city of Kars in April 1918.
Background
On 16 April 1918, Yakup Şevki Pasha ordered the 2nd Caucasian Division to advance southward from the Kars line in coordination with Kazım Karabekir Pasha for the liberation of Kars. He also instructed the 5th Caucasian Division to encircle Kars from the Bardiz–Emirhan–Samavat area, while units under Osman Bey were to secure the Oltu–Ardahan line before joining the assault on Kars.
Prelude
Before Kars could be captured, it was first necessary to secure Selim, located to the west of the city. Accordingly, on 19 April, Colonel Kazım Bey ordered the 1st Corps to begin its advance, initiating the Battle of Selim, which lasted four days. By 23 April, Armenian resistance had been overcome and the defensive positions around Selim were captured. Although trenches extended for approximately seven kilometres outside Kars, with additional fortified positions reaching to within one kilometre of the fortress, these defences made a direct assault on the citadel militarily impractical. The absence of heavy artillery capable of breaching the fortifications further limited the Ottoman forces options. As a result, the Ottoman command opted to besiege the fortress rather than launch an immediate frontal attack or attempt to penetrate the defences through mining operations. Colonel Kazım Bey's 1st Corps invested Kars from the west and southwest, while the 2nd Corps, under the command of Yakup Şevki Pasha, completed the encirclement from the north
Capture
On 24 April, Commander of the Third Army, Vehip Pasha, ordered the severance of the Kars–Tiflis supply route and the seizure of the railway lines extending from the northeast in order to facilitate the capture of Kars. He also instructed the Group Command to ensure close coordination between its units. At 05:00 on 24 April, the I Caucasian Corps launched its offensive. Armenian detachments were forced to retreat, allowing the capture of the northern heights of Akbaba and Yeni Mihailovka. Despite determined Armenian resistance, the 11th Caucasian Division compelled the enemy to withdraw after seizing two artillery pieces and established positions around Bozkırlı. Simultaneously, the 5th Caucasian Division continued its advance on the left flank of the 11th Caucasian Division, and by the end of the operation, all units had advanced to within approximately two kilometres of the battalion line.Colonel Morel Viladi, representing the Kars Regional Administration, arrived in Kars to meet Colonel Kazım Bey, commander of the First Caucasian Corps. During their meeting, Kazım Bey informed Morel that the evacuation of the Arpaçay area should begin immediately. He also requested adequate measures to ensure the safety of approximately 4,000 Turkish prisoners of war. Following negotiations between the delegations, Colonel Morel agreed that Kars would be evacuated on 25 April.
Colonel Morel further requested that the railway wagons available in Kars be handed over for transporting military personnel, weapons, and supplies. Kazım Bey explained that a final response would depend on instructions from the Army Command. Subsequently, the Third Army Commander, Vehip Pasha, issued the following order: "All military units stationed in and around the Kars fortified zone are to surrender their weapons, ammunition, equipment, and provisions in Kars before withdrawing to the former frontier. Beginning from the time this order is received, the evacuation of the Kars fortified area must be completed within forty-eight hours. All movable and immovable property in Kars is to be transferred intact to the Armenians. During the signing of the agreement, all railway materials located at Kars Station shall remain where they are."
On 25 April 1918, at 5:00 p.m. the Kars Military Commissar, Mikail Arzumanov, arrived at the headquarters of Colonel Kazım Bey and announced that the city would be surrendered, as requested by the Commander of Kars Fortress, General Deyef. Consequently, Lieutenant Talat Bey, who had been appointed by the Ottoman authorities to take over the fortress, was dispatched to Kars Castle. During this time, the Kars battalions were occupied by Turkish forces. On the morning of 26 April at 10:00 a.m., Colonel Kazım Bey entered Kars amid the joyful demonstrations of the Turkish soldiers. In his memoirs, he described his feelings on that day as follows:
"After forty years of captivity, Kars Fortress and all hose lands had finally been reunited with the motherland. I spread this joyful news in every direction and celebrated it with festivities. That Karakışla and Erzurum had been saved by Colonel Dursun, and that he had earned the honor of raising the Turkish flag over Kars first of all, was a source of immense happiness for me. For this was a homeland whose longing I had carried since my youth even since my childhood."
Aftermath
Unable to withstand the superior command and leadership of Colonel Kazım bey, the Armenian forces began a panicked withdrawal from Kars. During their retreat, they were forced to abandon large quantities of weapons, ammunition, and supplies. Among the captured materiel were 589 cannons, 86 machine guns, 2,525 infantry rifles, four aircraft (two of them operational), substantial quantities of provisions, and 450 railway wagons