26/2/1919 Armenia asks to become an American mandate

Today it is the turn of the Armenians to make their pitch to the Paris Conference. Somewhat unusually, they are not seeking their independence but rather for a big Armenia to be created as a mandate of the United States. The Armenians have suffered terribly at the hands of the Turks, who sought to exterminate them during the war, and they are fearful that a resurgent Turkey might attempt to finish the job. They also have Russia to their north and fear that without an external patron they will be invaded by either Turkey or the Red Army.

Unfortunately for the Armenians, the Americans are not keen on acquiring a dependency in the Caucasus. Any responsibility of this kind would be difficult to sell to the American public, making it unlikely that it will be included in the peace settlement.

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A proposed big Armenia (Wikipedia: Armenian…