Russia and Turkey exchange Armenian and Muslim populations

You show your bias as a Turk. Ottoman rule in the Balkans was oppresive towards Christians, just like in Ottoman Armenia. Of course there was no need to stabilize the border there.

Russia was the most expansionist of the GP's around the 1900's - and most likely since Napoleon. They didnt want stable borders - they wanted to conquer, to expand. They tried in China, in Central Asia, in the Balkans and even in the Caucasus regions. Im in full agreement with Koprulu Mustafa Pasha in regards of the Russian intentions.
 
Honestly, neither party would want this, least of all the Armenians. It would weaken Russian plans to take more of the Ottomans land, it would weaken Ottoman claims to eastern Anatolia, and it would ethnically cleanse Armenians from regions they consider part of their homeland.

Russia wanted to expand their Empire, the Ottomans wanted to retake land they claimed, and the Armenians just wanted to stop being killed.
 
I can see Russia trying that if they owned Erzurum and Van that had important Armenian communities but in this situation it would just mean cramming Armenia and Kars with millions of Armenians, not sure how that's logistically feasible plus it wouldn't solve the problem of Azerbaijan if you don't literally intend of either shipping Azerbaijani to Turkey, you could stabilize the border between the Armenians, Georgian and Azerbaijani but you wouldn't really achieve much if you are a Russian as now you probably have ire at least some of the if not all the communities affected.
 
Honestly, neither party would want this, least of all the Armenians. It would weaken Russian plans to take more of the Ottomans land, it would weaken Ottoman claims to eastern Anatolia, and it would ethnically cleanse Armenians from regions they consider part of their homeland.

Russia wanted to expand their Empire, the Ottomans wanted to retake land they claimed, and the Armenians just wanted to stop being killed.
How would it weaken Ottoman claims on Eastern Anatolia(which they already have) and how else would it hurt them or the Russians even. Armenians were already a minority in Turkish Armenia and not sure Turks were ready to be tolerant and play nice with them.
 
Biggest thing that would prevent this is the Russian vision of themselves as the Third Rome. Acquiescing to a solidified border and evacuating the Orthodox (former Roman) population from the region would signal that Russia no longer views itself as the heir apparent, and is practically giving up their claims to Constantinople and the remainder of the former regions of the Roman Empire.

You need a sea change in the Russian internal self image, or you need a change in government to one that no longer cares about such visions of glory. Then, and only then, might they acquiesce to a stable border in that region.

Otherwise, it gives further license to the Russians to liberate the regions in question, as without it they lose much of the initiative and rationale behind their conquests for the past few centuries.
 
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