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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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Tsarist Russia Against the Armenians

" Generosity within politics is often a sign of real wisdom. In any case, a great empire does not bode well with narrow-mindedness." Burke

Whilst the Armenian people were withstanding annihilation by the Turkish regime, the Armenians in the Russian Empire were also plagued by an oppressive administration.

Lucien Herr summarises the form of the Tsarist regime thus: "To all appearances, power belongs to the emperor, but the real power lies in the hands of a number of administrative institutions which are weighing down heavily over the people and are crushing them and devouring them. This corrupt and embezzling rule, which feeds off smuggling, violence and plundering, selects individuals itself, raises them in its lap and puts them in high offices, people are suitable for the implementation of the will of the rule and the strengthening of its control over the country." 2

Russian rule, which had closed its doors to western influence a long time previously and separated the country from European cultural, social and economical movements, also pursued an onerous policy towards non-Russians, who constituted half of the population in the empire.

As mentioned above, when the Armenian Question was brought up during the 1894-1896 massacres, the negative and at times hostile, position of the Russian government prevented the reforms in the Berlin Treaty from being implemented and subsequently prevented joint intervention from the major powers to bring the massacres to a halt.

It is important to review in greater depth the frame of mind in which Russian policies towards the Armenians and other non-Russian people within the empire were made.

Russian Policy Towards non-Russians

The aspiration to centralise rule and homogenise non-Russian people has been present in Russian administrations over the centuries. Only Peter the Great, Catherine II and Alexander I guaranteed the religious, cultural and administrative freedom of non-Russian peoples within conquered areas. 3

From the reign of Alexander II, however, centralisation and the policy of russification were pursued more vigorously.

In 1881, Alexander II was assissinated , who was truly worthy of the title "the Liberating Tsar", helping to liberate not only the Bulgarians during his reign, but also extending freedom to his own subjects. He was succeeded by his young, narrow-minded and violent son, Alexander III.

Power had actually fallen into the hands of a reactionary group, led by the famous Pobedonostev, who was a representative for the Saint-Synode (an office with spiritual ministry). Poibiedonostev was the real tsar of Russia, called by Mommsen "the other Torquemada" 7, and by Dillon "the grave digger of old Russia". Poibiedonostev's slogan read: "Absolute power of the tsar, fanatic faith in the Orthodox Church, intense Russian nationalism and policy pro-Slavic people."