German forwarding in the Caucasus

The German forwarding in the Caucasus was a military forwarding sent in the area of the old Russian Transcaucasia during the First World War and of which the principal goal was to make safe the supply oil of the German Empire and to support the republic of lately independent Georgia.

Placed under the command of the Major Général Kress von Kressenstein, this force of 3000 men was composed exclusively of Bavarian troops. Forwarding was organized and supervised by general the Erich Ludendorff which met the delegates of the authorities géorgiennes in Berlin in the presence of the Kaiser Guillaume II.

Georgia had signed the treaty of Poti the May 28th 1918, two days after its independence, in order to make sure protection of Germany vis-a-vis the double threat represented by the Russian revolution and the Othoman military conquests.

The troops were transported by the Black Sea since the the Crimea to the port géorgien of Poti, where they posed foot the June 8th 1918. They arrived at the capital, Tbilissi, the June 10th where they ravelled at the sides of the troops géorgiennes.

German mixed garrisons and géorgiennes were established in several areas of which those of Poti, Ochamchire, Kutaisi, and Borchalo. Many officers and soldiers were decorated about the Tamar Queen, created especially bound for the German military personnel and of the géorgiens being useful in the legion géorgienne of the German imperial army.

This forwarding was sent in the context of a fight of influence between Turkey and Germany in the oil-bearing area of Bakou, as a popular republic of Azerbaïdjan. The Othoman army, under the command of Vehip Pasha, on the one hand and the allied troops of Georgia and Germany on the other hand were confronted at the beginning of June 1918. Turkey was forced to give up the conquète of Georgia under the threat of Berlin to withdraw its support to him. The efforts Turkish were redirected towards Azerbaïdjan and the Iran.

Germany proposed in Russia to block the Turkish advance on Bakou in exchange of an access to oil there being produced. According to the terms of the agreement signed the August 27th 1918, Germany would receive a quarter of the production of oil of Bakou. Germany required of Turkey to cease its offensive on Azerbaidjan; this request was ignored and the Othoman army entered Bakou the September 15th following the evacuation of the brittanic troops. It was joined the following day by a German delegation carried out by the colonel Friedrich von der Holtz.

Following the political crisis in Germany, the withdrawal of all the troops on the ground was ordered by the German government the October 21st 1918.

The last transporting ship of the troops of German forwarding in the Caucasus left the port of Poti in December 1918. The last troops arrived to Germany in April 1919.

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