TRENDEFRARAtlas of the Sultans · Wars, battles and treaties
Treaty · 1920
On 12 April 1919 the British had dissolved the provisional national government at Kars and given Kars to the Armenians and Ardahan to the Georgians. After the successes against the Armenians on the Eastern Front, according to the TDV article on the National Struggle, the Treaty of Alexandropol was signed between Armenia and the government of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey on 3 December 1920. By this first treaty signed by Ankara, Kars, Sarıkamış, Kağızman, Kulp and Iğdır returned to Turkish territory. The units there and the arms taken from the Armenians were moved to the western front. Soviet Russia too accepted the terms of Alexandropol in the Treaty of Moscow of 1921; the remaining issues were settled by the Treaty of Kars on 13 October 1921.
| Signed | 3 December 1920 |
|---|---|
| Place of signing | Alexandropol (today's Gyumri) |
| Parties | Ankara Government, Republic of Armenia |
Troops and captured arms from the east were shifted to the western front; the terms were confirmed by the treaties of Moscow and Kars in 1921.
Took place during the reign of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (1923–1938). Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
The atlas records this territorial change for the year:
By the atlas's calculation the Ottoman lands covered about 765,000 km² in 1920; at the start of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's presidency they measured 773,000 km², at its end 773,000 km².
During Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (1923–1938) the atlas records 2 regions gained and 0 regions lost.
Regions gained: Kars–Ardahan–Artvin (1920), Antep–Kilis (1921).
Born in Thessaloniki in 1881, he graduated from the War College and the Staff College and became a staff officer. He distinguished himself in Tripolitania (1911–1912) and at Gallipoli (1915), where his command at Arıburnu and Anafartalar made his name. Landing at Samsun on 19 May 1919, he launched the War of Independence and, as President of the Grand National Assembly and Commander-in-Chief, won the battles of Sakarya and the Great Offensive. He became the first president of the Republic of Turkey proclaimed on 29 October 1923 and held the office until his death. He carried out sweeping reforms in law, education, the alphabet, dress and women's rights; in 1934 the Assembly gave him the surname Atatürk. He died in Istanbul on 10 November 1938.
Areas are land area computed from the atlas's region data; see Method and sources.
Source: TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, “MİLLÎ MÜCADELE” (Turkish); text written for the atlas.
Cite as: Atlas of the Sultans, “Treaty of Alexandropol (1920): Terms, Date and Outcome”, https://padisahlaratlasi.com/en/events/treaty-of-alexandropol/ (last updated 12 November 2026). Corrections