UNION TREATY OF THE SOUTH-EAST UNION OF COSSACKS’ TROOPS, THE CAUCASUS MOUNTAIN PEOPLES AND OF THE FREE STEPPE PEOPLES

20 October, 1917

We, named below the Cossacks’ forces, the Caucasus Mountain Peoples and the Free Steppe Peoples establish the Union aimed at encouraging the good state arrangement, internal security and order in the state of Russia, as well as at providing by the Union members their inviolability, maintaining the internal peace, increasing the common welfare and thereby strengthening the good deeds achieved by the Revolution.

1. Composition of the Union

Art. 1. Union is composed of Cossacks’ forces: Don Troops, Kuban Troops, Terek Troops and Astrakhan Troops, Kalmik people joined the Astrakhan Troops and united in a special Union of Mountain Peoples the following steppe and mountainous peoples:

a) All the peoples of Daghestan (Avars, Dargints, Laki – also called Kazi-Kumiks, Kiurints, Kumiks, Tabasarants and others) and of Zakatala Okrug (Lezgins);

b) All the mountain peoples of Terek Region (Kabardins, Balkars, Ossetians, Ingush, Chechens, Kumiks and Salatavts);

c) All the peoples of Terek Region (Karachay, Abazins, Cherkess, Nogaits and others);

d) Highlanders of Sukhumi Region (Abkhazs);

e) Steppe Peoples of the Terek Region (Nogaits and Karanogaits) and of the Stavropol Gubernia (Nogaits and Turkmen).

Art. 2. The territory of the members of the Union includes the lands owned by Cossacks’ Forces, the Caucasus Highlanders and the Steppe Free peoples provided for in Article 1.

Art. 3. The name of the Union is: “the South-East Union of Cossacks’ Troops, the Caucasus Mountain Peoples and of the Free Steppe Peoples”.

Art. 4. Each member of the Union maintains its full independence regarding the internal life and is authorized to conclude the independent agreements without prejudice to the Union’s goals.

II. The goals of the Union

Art. 5. The Union determines the following goals:

a) to achieve the rapid development of the Russian Democratic Federative Republic with recognition of the members of the Union as the separate States;

b) to support the other peoples and oblasts striving for federative settlement of the state of Russia and establishing with them close relations and mutual understanding;

c) to strive for establishing the firm and trustworthy democratic state power based on the live forces of all nationalities and territories of the country and free from the influence of irresponsible organizations;

d) to support the Central State Power in the struggle against external enemies and in establishing of worthy peace on the basis of self-determination of the peoples, maintaining the order in the country and in struggle against anarchy and counterrevolution;

e) to secure the full independence of the Union’s members with regard of their internal life;

III. The Union’s power

Art. 8. “Joint Government of the South-East Union” is the governing organ of the Union.

Art. 9. Each member of the Union nominates two representatives to the Joint Government.

Note 1: The Union of the Caucasus Mountain Peoples nominates four representatives where 2 shall be from Daghestan, including Zakatala Okrug.

Note 2: Astrakhan Cossacks’ Troops and affiliated Kalmik People appoint one representative.

Art. 14. The South-East Union has its representative at the Central Government of Russia, who shall be elected by the Joint Government of the Union from its composition or from the authorized citizens of the Union.

IV. Place of residence of the Joint Government.

Art. 15. The Joint Government temporarily is placed in the city of Ekaterinodar.

(Union of the North Caucasus Mountain Peoples and Daghestan (1917-1918). Mountain Republic (1918-1920). Documents and Materials. Makhachkala, 1994, p. 73-76/in Russian; Central State Historical Archive of Georgia, f. 1820, desc. 1, file 630, p. 1-2)