The British Deep State and the Armenian Riots

Official and classified British documents reveal a great deal about the thoughts of British politicians on Armenian riots:

Mr. O'Beirne: The Armenian riot is the best way to declare war against the Turks… German armies being on the side of the Turks will strengthen the triple treaty, lead to these reforms and will be followed by an Armenian uprising.¹⁸⁶

E. Grey: …Breaking off six provinces for a united Armenia will make other ethnicities in Asian Turkey to follow suit.¹⁸⁷

Harbord: …We travelled all regions from Istanbul to Mardin…. We haven't seen any indication that Turks wanted to kill the Armenians… Three months ago, we heard that all Armenians were slaughtered down to the last man. But none of it was actually true. The French wanted to make Ottoman a French mandate, and to this end, they felt they had to make the world suspicious of the Turks.¹⁸⁸

Mr. Kitson: …I have no doubts about the will of Armenians about killing their Muslim neighbours. Armed Armenian Dashnak gangs are working with extraordinary savagery.… Although we don't trust them, it is in our interests to use the Kurds. As to the Eastern provinces, we cannot separate those regions and make them Kurdistan and Armenia without fighting the Turks first.¹⁸⁹

London Conference: …Trabzon and Adana should also be given to Armenia, in addition to those six provinces. The US will help Armenia… Some people say "There is not even one Armenian in Trabzon. So isn't it ridiculous to have an Armenia without Armenians?''… A small Turkish state should be set up, the capitulations can be extended to cover jurisprudence as well. We had to lift the capitulations in Japan, because they were strong. We had no other option. Turkish mind was far less precise than the Japanese.¹⁹⁰ [Noble Turkish nation is above such statements.]

A meeting in the British Foreign Office: … Lloyd George: 'We have to drive Turks out of Istanbul'… Mr. Cambon: 'Mustafa Kemal Pasha is the source of all problems and the Sultan has a hard time keeping him in check'…. 1/3 of the French groups are French soldiers and the rest is indigenous Armenians… If our commissioner in Istanbul cannot prevent these, he should threaten the Sultan by saying 'otherwise we'll kick you out of Istanbul'. If at the time, when Erzurum was supposed to be taken by the new Armenian State, Mustafa Kemal wasn't around, the Armenians could have a chance… Mustafa Kemal's troops are not paid, it is their love for their country that drives them.¹⁹¹

A British report: Ardahan, Batum and İmer valley will be given. Armenian borders with Kurdistan and Turkey will be as follows: Yanbati River in Blacksea … Western border of Erzurum, Bitlis river.¹⁹²

San Remo Conference: …The borders of Turkey: Erzurum will be given to Armenians and thus the Great Armenian State theory will become true. Italian Nitti, '…Since Turks are the majority in Erzurum, we have to find a way to kick them out. Lately Erzurum has been the center of the nationalist movement.' Mr. Berthelot, 'Mustafa Kemal and his forces can be eliminated through bribery or by other means'… Mr. Aharonian said, "Mustafa Kemal's army is much smaller than you think and is undisciplined."¹⁹³ [Noble Turkish nation is above such statements.]

Lord Curzon (regarding his meeting with Boghos Nubar and Avetis Aharonian in London, April 11 1920): I scolded them for their stupid actions. I explained [to] them the stupidity of wasting on the Azerbaijanis, the weapons that we gave them to use on the Turks.¹⁹⁴

Admiral F. de Robeck: I have talked to Mr Khatissian. He informed me that, they received 25,000 rifles, Armenian army has 30,000 Russian made rifles and one million bullets. When the Greek advance starts, Armenians will instantly join the attack.¹⁹⁵