htilaller D neminde Ermenilere Y nelik Rus Politikalar (1917-1918)//// Russian Policies Towards the Armenians during the Revolutionary Period c. 1917-1918

The year of 1917, during which two significant revolutions took place in Russia, is quite an important watershed both for the world and Russian history. After the first revolution the Tsarist Russia collapsed. The second revolution by the Bolshevists ended the provisional government which was established after the first one. The policies pursued by the provisional government and later Bolshevist administration were not very different from those of the Tsarist Russia. Russian policies during the last phase of the First World War had a rather important impact on the fate of the Turkish territories in Eastern Anatolia. For, Turks were striving to end the Russian occupation of their lands around this time. Armenians, some of whom were already in the Russian occupation zones and the rest of whom were by and large brought to these areas from Russia could not help dreaming about being permanent in those lands due to the Russian promises. However, Turkish governments’ political and especially military endeavors rendered these “promise policies” of the Russians, and the Armenians’ hopes abortive.