The Ottoman occupation of Batumi, 1918: a view from below

Abstract

This article presents for the first time in English an eye-witness’s account of the Ottoman occupation of the Black Sea port of Batumi in 1918. Written by a Russian resident of Batumi, V.P. Mel’nikov, the document is held in the archives of the Ach’ara State Museum, Georgia. It offers rare insights into daily life under Ottoman occupation, making a contribution to the general history of occupation policies during the First World War, the history of the Ottoman invasion of Transcaucasia, and the local history of Ach’ara under occupation. The translation of the document is preceded by a commentary explaining the historical context and historiographic significance of Mel’nikov’s account.