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Index

Armenia

The Urartu Civilisation

Victory for Independence

Artashisian Dynasty on the Armenian Throne

Armenia caught between Rome and the Arsacids

The Acceptance of Christianity

Defending Christianity

Armenia Under the Bagratouni Dynasty

Cilicia - the New Armenia

Armenia Under Turanian Rule

The Renaissance or the Resurrection of Armenia

The Eastern Question

Russia in the Caucasus

The Armenian Question

Battle on Two Fronts

Tsarist Russia Against the Armenians

The Revolution of the Young Turks and the Armenian People on the Eve of World War I

The First World War

The Resurrection of Armenia

Armenia on the Road to Independence, 1918

- Armenia on the Road to Independence, 1918

Eastern Armenia

Western Armenia

"The Fateful Years" (1914-1917)

"Hopes and Emotions" (March-October, 1917)

The Bolshevik Revolution and Armenia

Transcaucasia Adrift (November, 1917

Dilemmas (March-April, 1918)

War and Independence (April-May, 1918)

The Republics of Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia

The Suppliants (June-October, 1918)

In conclusion

Soviet Armenia

The Second Independent Republic of Armenia

Epilogue

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The Armenian Quandary

While Georgians and Azerbaijanis took concrete steps to strengthen the foundations of their newly proclaimed republics, the Armenian leaders were thrown into turmoil. Though they should have realised that the Transcaucasian Federation might collapse at any moment and should have planned for that eventuality, they were thoroughly unprepared to cope with the situation when it actually occurred. Bitter recrimination was the first Armenian reaction. On the night of May 26, the National Council hurled accusations of treachery at the Mensheviks and resolved to denounce the Georgian proclamation of independence. 21 The council was unable, however, to take positive measures for determining a course of action. The Social Revolutionaries and non-partisans insisted that the Armenian districts should not be declared independent. Would not Armenia, as a separate state, be subjected immediately to the dictates of Turkey? The Armenian Social Democrats – following the example of their Georgian colleagues – and the Populists called for independence, insisting that no alternative existed. The Dashnakists were badly split. Council Chairman Avetis Aharonian together with Ruben Ter Minasian and Artashes Babalian opposed, while Simon Vratsian and Khatchatour Karjikian favoured taking the momentous step. As the majority still rejected independence, the matter was deferred. 22

That same night, a conference of Dashnakist leaders in Tiflis acted more decisively that did the National Council. They agreed that the fall of the Federative Republic and the subsequent Georgian manoeuvre made it necessary for the National Council to move to Yerevan, where, entrusted with dictatorial powers, it would assume the functions of government. 23 This view was also shared by Kachaznouni and Khatisian, who, on the following evening, reported to the National Council on what had transpired in Batum. The two Armenian delegates stressed that the only possibility for survival required declaring independence and securing peace with Turkey, no matter what the price. Moreover, when on May 28 announcement was made of an independent Azerbaijan encompassing "Southern and Eastern Transcaucasia," the balance in the Armenian National Council tipped toward the inevitable. If the Azerbaijani claim to southern Transcaucasia passed unchallenged, those areas of the Yerevan guberniia free of Ottoman occupation would also be lost. Thus, at noon on May 28, the Council appointed Khatisian, Kachaznouni, and Papadjanian to return to Batum with unlimited powers for negotiating a peace on behalf of the Armenian people or, depending on the circumstances, in the name of the independent "Republic of Armenia." 24

Still the National Council tarried in making an official announcement. The matter was settled only after the dissonant leaders of Dashnaktsoutiun had united. On the evening of May 29, the party's Bureau and Tiflis Central Committee and the Dashnakist members of the Seim and National Council met in emergency session. The final decision was to proclaim Armenia a republic, ruled at the start by a coalition government. The National Council would be urged to call Hovhannes Kachaznouni to the post of Minister-President. 25 With the verdict the die was cast, but that the apprehension of the nation's leaders was not dispelled is easily discerned in the Council's may 30 declaration: "In view of the dissolution of the political unity of Transcaucasia and the new situation created by the proclamation of the independence of Georgia and Azerbaijan, the Armenian National Council declares itself supreme and only administration for the Armenian province. Due to certain grave circumstances, the National Council, deferring until near future the formation of an Armenian national government, temporarily assumes all governmental functions, in order to pilot the political and administrative helm of the Armenian provinces." 26 In obvious and sharp contrast to the Georgian and Azerbaijani acts, the Armenian declaration made no mention of "independence," "republic," the rights of the citizenry, or relations with other states. Only after news of Armenian military successes near Yerevan had been confirmed and peace had been concluded at Batum did the National Council dare to use publicly the title of Republic of Armenia.