The Republic Of Armenia The First Year 1918 1919

Author : Ohanes Geukjian
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 556 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (785 download)

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Download or read book The Republic of Armenia Rise and Fall written by Ohanes Geukjian and published by . This book was released on 1989 with total page 556 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Armenians had been struggling hard since the 1600*3 to assert their identity as a nation. The tremendous efforts and perseve¬rance of the Armenians culminated in the establishment of the Armenian Republic in 1918. The desire to achieve independence was suddenly realized, and the Armenians looked hopefully to the future, Armenia was under difficult and unfavorable conditions. Internally, the country was devastated because of the war, and hunger and disease prevailed among the exhausted population. The government tried hard to secure relief, but the scope of the catastrophic situation was greater than any relief plan. Externally, Armenia was surrounded by hostile neighbors: Turkey, Russia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. Each had territorial disputes with the Armenians, and they never cooperated wholeheartedly to solve those disputes. However, some of the problems were settled appropriately either by negotiations or by force. The creation of the Armenian republic was considered as the starting point of the solution of the Armenian Question. Since the Congress of Berlin in 1878, the Armenians had presented petitions and had asked the Western powers to find a just solution to the Armenian Question. The Armenian Question had always been at the mercy of the great powers. How that the Republic was proclaimed, the Armenians represen¬ted their case from a position of power in order to protect their fatherland. The Armenian demands were heard during the Paris Peace Conference in 1919, where the victorious powers were assembled to solve all the territorial disputes among nations. After that the Armenian demands were discussed during the London and San Remo Conferences, and the Armenian territorial claims were taken into serious consideration. Finally, the Treaty of Sevres denounced Turkey and gave the Armenians the right to retain their lands under Turkish control. But the Allied weak position towards Turkey and the alliance of the Kemalist forces (Turkish Nationalists) with communist Russia withered the Armenian hopes and finally suppressed the Armenian Republic. Armenia was crushed in December, 1920. The Wilsonian principles of self-determination and freedom found no realization in the case of the Armenians, However, the perception of the homeland continued to be the focus of all Armenian nationalist activities. The objective of this thesis is to study and analyze the history of the Armenian Republic between the years 1918-1921. The intensity of Armenian nationalism, which reached its peak in the 19th century, not only contributed but made the birth of the Republic possible. Armenian nationalism used to be a very strong factor before and during the life of the Republic. The understanding of Armenian nationalism is crucial, because it continues to have a very strong and positive role in determining the will of exist¬ence of the Armenian nation. However, nationalism alone was not enough to make the Republic continue its independent and sovereign existence. Other factors were also necessary to make the viability of the state possible. Territory, geography, resources, population and foreign support were some of these factors. To what extent did these factors exist and contribute to the maintenance of the Republic were traced throughout the analysis. The Republic occupied a unique place in the history of Armenian political experience. The Armenians were faced by the process of state formation, and principles like statehood, sovereignty, and self determination. The analysis will focus on the factors which led to the rise of the Republic as well as those which led to its collapse. The accomplishment of this work demanded tremendous work and research. The major source of information came from books and articles on Armenian history and political experience. We have heavily focused on the "Armenian Review", a journal published in the U.S. since 1948. Also, we have used memoirs and documents on British and American foreign relations. Moreover, we have referred to Armenian papers that are published for the first time. The first chapter of this thesis will deal with the meaning of nationalism. Its two corollaries, nation and nationality, will also be discussed. Some factors like language, culture, historical traditions and religion are referred to as characteristics of nationality. Emphasis is put on independence since all nations must live within a defined territory and determine their fate alone. Chapter two will deal with the idea of Armenian nationalism, first, we will be examining the early Armenian Kingdom, then the Turkish occupation of Western Armenia, specifically the Armenian six vilayets. Early Armenian nationalistic feelings aroused by Armenian intellectuals who had studied in Europe and returned back to their homeland will consti¬tute the core of the analysis in this chapter. Early Armenian bids to liberation from foreign dominations represent a special interest in this part. The mission of Israel Ori and other nationalists are discussed in full detail as examples of freedom wonderers. We have also referred to Armenian underground organizations whose efforts culminated in arousing the nationalistic feelings of the Armenians. The establishment of the Armenian independent Republic will be discussed in chapter three. The revolutionary activities of the Armenian political parties paved the way to the Armenian national awakening. The outbreak of W.W.I, the entaglement of Armeno-Turkish relations, the Allied role in Transcaucasia, the effects of the Bolshevik revolution, The Armeno-Georgian and Armeno-Azerbaijani relations are all analyzed in this chapter. Chapter four will refer to the foreign political role concerning the future of the Republic. The victorious Allies gathered at Versailles tried to solve all the problems generated by the war and impose a just solution on the vanquished nations. The Armenians, who were represented by two delegations, tried hard at Paris to make the Allies fulfill their promises, and secure foreign support to the Republic, since it was vital for the sovereign existence of the state. However, because of Allied revalry over political issues, and the lack of Armenian diplomatic flexibility, and political experience, the Turkish treaty was delayed. The Allied response in the form of investigatory work throughout various fact finding commissions was discussed in full detail. Finally, the last chapter analyses the downfall of the Armenian Republic. Issues like Kemalism and Bolshevism, Armeno-Azerbaijani and Armeno-Georgian territorial conflicts, Armenian shift in political strategy, the Armeno-Bolshevik clashes during the may celebrations, and the role of the Armenian communists occupy a unique place in this chapter. Equal importance and weight is devoted to the Russo-Turkish cooperation and their alliance in crushing the independent Republic. Finally, the chapter ends by refering to the harsh terms of the Alexandrapol treaty and the sovietization of Armenia.