The Grand Strategy of the Russian Empire in the Caucasus Against Its Southern Rivals (1821-1833)
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The London School of Economics and Political Science The Grand Strategy of the Russian Empire in the Caucasus against Its Southern Rivals (1821-1833) Serkan Keçeci A dissertation submitted to the Department of International History of the London School of Economics and Political Science for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, London, October 2016. 1 Declaration I certify that the thesis I have presented for examination for the MPhil/PhD degree of the London School of Economics and Political Science is solely my own work other than where I have clearly indicated that it is the work of others (in which case the extent of any work carried out jointly by me and any other person is clearly identified in it). The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. Quotation from it is permitted, provided that full acknowledgement is made. This thesis may not be reproduced without my prior written consent. I warrant that this authorisation does not, to the best of my belief, infringe the rights of any third party. I declare that my thesis consists of 99,995 words. 2 Abstract This dissertation will analyse the grand strategy of the Russian empire against its southern rivals, namely the Ottoman empire and Iran, in the Caucasus, between 1821 and 1833. This research is interested in explaining how the Russian imperial machine devised and executed successful strategies to use its relative superiority over the Ottomans and the Qājārs and secure domination of the region. Russian success needs, however, to be understood within a broader context that also takes in Ottoman and Iranian policy-making and perspectives, and is informed by a comparative sense of the strengths and weaknesses of all three imperial regimes. In this thesis, the question of why Russia was more successful than the Ottoman state and Iran in the Caucasus between 1821 and 1833 is explained in three main ways: the first and most important factor in this process was the well-functioning fiscal-military machine of the Russian empire; the second factor was the diplomatic and military skill of the Russian leadership which helped to avert any effective political and military alliance between the Ottoman empire and Iran and defeated its rivals in two separate and successive wars; the last main factor in Russian success was its geopolitically superior position. 3 Table of Contents Abstract ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3 Table of Contents ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4 Abbreviations --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7 Romanization of Fārsī Alphabet ------------------------------------------------------------ 9 Acknowledgements ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10 Introduction ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14 Existing Historiography------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 20 Notes on Methodology and Sources --------------------------------------------------------------- 26 Structure of the Thesis ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 29 Chapter One - Rediscovering the Caucasus: The Geopolitical Background ---------- 33 The Role of Geography ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 33 Caucasus Region ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 36 Black Sea Region ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 43 Caspian Region------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 57 Eastern Anatolia ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 63 Zagros Region -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 66 Peoples ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 68 North of the Caucasus ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 68 South of the Caucasus ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 71 Chapter Two - Imperial Rivals ------------------------------------------------------------- 78 Geopolitical Conflict in the Caucasus Region ---------------------------------------------------- 78 Ottoman Empire--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 81 Iran ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 98 Imperial Russia -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 110 Chapter Three – The Wars of 1804-13 and 1806-1812 --------------------------------118 Russo-Iranian Conflict ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 118 Russo-Ottoman Conflict --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 122 Naval Encounters in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea ---------------------------------- 124 Gudovich --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 131 Tormasov --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 135 Paulucci ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 142 4 Rtishchev --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 143 Ottoman-Iranian Cooperation --------------------------------------------------------------------- 144 Chapter Four - The Irano-Ottoman War of 1821-23 -----------------------------------146 The Origins of the War ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 146 Border Transgressions -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 148 Political Fugitives -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 153 Shi’i Pilgrims ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 154 Local Rulers -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 156 Revolts in the Balkans -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 164 The Iranian War Planning ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 165 The Northern Front --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 166 The Ottoman Army ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 166 The Iranian Army -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 167 The Campaign of 1821 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 168 The Campaign of 1822 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 175 The Southern Front --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 177 The Ottoman Army ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 178 The Iranian Army -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 179 The Campaign of 1821 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 180 The Treaty of Erzurum of 1823 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 181 Conclusion ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 185 Chapter Five - The Russo-Iranian War of 1826-28 -------------------------------------186 The Causes of the War ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 186 The Role of ‘Ulamā ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 193 ‘Abbās Mīrzā ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 195 The Campaign of 1826 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 197 The Military Force of Russia ------------------------------------------------------------------ 198 The Military Force of Iran ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 200 The 1827 Campaign -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 213 Chapter Six - The Russo-Ottoman War of 1828-29 ------------------------------------224 The Causes of the War ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 224 The Campaign of 1828 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 230 The Campaign of 1829 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 247 Chapter Seven – Mass Immigration of Armenians into the Russian Caucasus after the Wars of the 1820s --------------------------------------------------------------------------256 Armenian community in Iran --------------------------------------------------------------------- 258 5 Armenians north of the Aras River ----------------------------------------------------------- 259 Armenians in Georgia ------------------------------------------------------------ 260 Armenians in the Caspian Region ---------------------------------------------- 261 Armenians in Qarahbāgh-Ganjah-Zāngazūr ----------------------------------- 262 Armenians in Īravān -Nakhjavān ------------------------------------------------ 265 Armenians south of the Aras River