Turmoil in Tiflis
The fall of Kars stunned the Armenian world. Refugees and undisciplined troops spilled into the Yerevan guberniia bringing anarchy, famine, and epidemic. Aram and Dro laboured frantically to restore a semblance of order. By their command several Armenian deserters were executed, but the results were negligible. 38 In Tiflis the political atmosphere was lethal. Angry mobs of outraged Armenians rushed through the streets denouncing the Transcaucasian government. The most humiliated were the two Armenian delegated to Trabizond. Kachaznouni and Khatisian, who had considered themselves the close associates of Chkhenkeli and had already agreed to participate in his cabinet. They had been kept ignorant of all diplomatic and military proceedings until the secret slipped out on the night of April 24, when communication was re-established between Armenian Corps headquarter in Alexandropol and the National Council in Tiflis. Corps Commissar Sargis Manasian relayed the unbelievable information to Council member Simon Vratsian. Now altered, the National Council finally succeeded in speaking directly with General Nazarbekian, who dolefully announced that all was lost. He had already received orders to evacuate Lars, and it was too late to attempt a defence, for the troops and populace were fleeing and final negotiations were in progress for the surrender of the fortress. 39
The news exploded with greater force than a score of bombs. Shouting treachery to the Georgian Mensheviks, Khatisian, Kachaznouni, and Avetik Sahakian withdrew their agreement to serve with Chkhenkeli, and Dashnaktsoutiun demanded his overthrow. Chkhenkeli would not be the premier of the Transcaucasian republic! This crisis threatened to disrupt the Republic before it was three days old. The Menshevik chiefs, Zhordania, Gegechkori, Tsereteli, and Ramishvili anxiously conferred with the Dashnakist spokesmen, Kachaznouni, Khatisian, Karjikian, and Ohandjanian. The Georgian Menshevik elite was furious with the deceitful Chkhenkeli. His actions were inexcusable. Nonetheless, for the common weal, they declared that the Armenians should display gallantry by remaining in the government. The future of Transcaucasia rested upon cooperation. When the Dashnakists refused to heed such idealistic phrases, the Mensheviks played their trump card. They would agree to topple Chkhenkeli on the condition that the new premier be a member of Dashnaktsoutiun, preferably Kachaznouni. It was now the Armenians who were in a quandary. If Kachaznouni were raised to chief of state immediately after the repudiation of Chkhenkeli's policies, the move would have be interpreted as the restoration of a "war cabinet," the Tatars would withdraw from the Transcaucasian Federation, and the Ottoman forces would resume an all-out offensive. With Kars already lost, the main arena of war would be the Yerevan guberniia. The final stage of the Armenian decimation would be enacted in the heart of Transcaucasia. The Georgian proposal was unacceptable to Dashnaktsoutiun, whose delegates insisted that any Menshevik other than Chkhenkeli should serve as premier. "Chkhenkeli or Kachaznouni" was the unalterable choice offered by the Georgian quartet. Near dawn on April 26, Dashnaktsoutiun yielded. Clearly aware of the repercussions inherent in permitting an Armenian to form the new cabinet, the party leaders agreed to participate in the cabinet of the odious Chkhenkeli and consequently to subject themselves to the increased wrath of their followers. 40
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