state
Birth Of First
Armenian Republic
Reference by P. Vartan Sookiassian
By Parandzem Avagyan
Seated Avetik Sahakyan, Alexander Khatisyan, General Christophor Araratyan. Standing Nikol Aghbalyan, Abraham Giulkhandaryan, Sargis Araratyan
The birth of the first
independent Armenian state in hundreds
of years out of the destruction of the
Armenian Genocide is perhaps one of the
most surprising events in all of Armenian
history. World War I threw the regional
empires into chaos, and while this chaos
resulted in genocide for the Armenians
of the Ottoman Empire, it would lead to
independence for those in the Russian
Empire. The Armenians and other
peoples of the Transcaucasian region
celebrated the March Revolution of 1917
which resulted in Tsar Nicholas II giving
up his throne. This event gave unity to
the peoples of this area, who hoped in the
2 (22) 2013
16
excitement of the moment that it would
lead to greater freedoms for them after
the strict rule of the tsar. A decree from
the Russian Provisional Government
even allowed Armenian refugees to
return to their homes in towns such as
Van, Bitlis, and Erzurum to rebuild them;
and Armenian soldiers of the Russian
army were transferred to the region to
protect them. However the Provisional
Government was opposed by the radical
Bolshevik party, which overthrew it in
the October Revolution.
The Bolshevik's policies in
power disturbed many Armenians,
which reversed the gains made during
the Provisional Government. Lenin
demanded that Russian troops be
removed from parts of Turkish Armenia
they controlled, which Armenians knew
would result in the Turks re-conquering
that territory. Lenin was anxious to grow
his power with the people by getting
Russia out of World War I at any cost, and
the signing of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
by the Soviet government to make peace
in March 1918 was a terrible blow to
Armenians. Talaat Pasha represented the
Ottoman Empire at the negotiations, and
he represented his demand that Russia
give up all territory it captured from
the Ottomans in the Russo-Turkish War