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ARMENIA IN MODERN TIMES 317
allowed to retain Kars and Ardahan. By a decree of the
Soviet Government in Moscow a federation of the three soviet
republics of Transcaucasia—Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan
—was formed. This federation is affiliated to the great Russian
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, with the seat of govern
ment in Moscow.
As previously stated (p. 107), this was the only solution
which could save the peoples concerned from destruction.
But, strange to say, the nations who failed to perform their
obligations, who forgot all their promises, and did nothing
to help the hard-pressed Armenians while there was still time
to do so, have blamed them for accepting a soviet form of
government in order to save their country and its people.
This accusation is used as an excuse for doing nothing more ;
for these nations have lost interest in the Armenian people, as
they lost interest in their own promises.
As time went on, many Armenians who had survived the
deportations and massacres returned to the Armenian terri
tories in Anatolia. With the encouragement of the Allies,
200,000 refugees had also come back to their former hornes in
Cilicia, where they were protected by French troops. But
in February 1920 they were attacked by Kemal Pasha, and
30,000 Armenians were massacred at Hadjim and Marash.
Then, when the French made an agreement in October 1921
to evacuate Cilicia—notwithstanding the previous promises of
the Powers to protect the Armenians there—nothing could
induce the population to remain, and there were mass
emigrations to Syria and other countries.
Then came the last grim act in the sombre tragedy of the
Armenians. In the autumn of 1 922 the Turks, under Mustapha
Kemal, drove the Greeks out of Asia Minor. Once more
thousands and thousands of Armenians were driven out of
the country like pariahs, and fresh scenes of cruelty were
enacted. Stripped of everything, the fugitives arrived in
Greece, Bulgaria, Constantinople, and Syria ; while great
numbers fled again to Russian Armenia. All the real property
and movables that they had to leave behind has been
appropriated by the Turks and their rulers !
The number of Armenians that the Young Turks managed
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