Most Armenians needed little prodding. Even before the final decision was reached, volunteers gathered in every part of Transcaucasia. But the enthusiasm of the national leaders was not unanimous, for there were "voices in the wilderness" that strove unsuccessfully to convince the Armenians of Transcaucasia of the possible deleterious consequences. It is noteworthy that Hovhannes Kachaznouni and Simon Vratsian, the first and the last premiers of the future republic, warned that the Ittihadist rulers of Turkey would utilize the existence of volunteers units, composed partly of former Ottoman subjects, to justify violent measures against the Western Armenians. 18 The minority opinion, however, was in direct opposition to the prevailing psychology of the Eastern Armenian masses, who considered the time of words past and the moment of redeeming action at hand.
Having agreed to the proposal of Vorontsov-Dashkov, the national Bureau selected a special committee to supervise the operations of the volunteer corps. Functioning from Tiflis, Alexandropol, and Yerevan, the committee began its activities by assigning enlistees to the four authorised units, all of which were immediately filled to capacity. 19 The military role of the volunteers, insignificant in number when compared with the total Russian strength on the Caucasus front, was primarily to scout, to guide the Russian armies over the rugged terrain of the Plateau, and to fulfil the perilous assignments of the avant-grade. 20 The first group, over 1,000 men, was led by Andranik, an experienced revolutionary who had participated in the Balkan wars as commander of an Armenian contingent in the Bulgarian Army. Andranik's unit joined the Russian forces in North Persia, while the other three advanced toward the Turkish border. Dro, assisted by the former Ottoman parliament member, Armen Garo, directed the second group, which, moving over Igdir in the Yerevan province, poised for an offensive against Van. The third and fourth units, commanded by Hamazasp and Keri, took advance positions along the western border of the Kars oblast, from Sarighamish to Olti. 21 When the Turkish battleships bombarded the Russian coast in October, the Armenian volunteers were already supplied and prepared to violate the boundaries of the Ottoman Empire. That the commitment to form volunteer units was above and beyond the call of duty is evidenced by the fact that already serving the regular Russian armies were nearly 150,000 Armenians, most of whom had been transferred to the European front. 22
Nicholas II in the Caucasus
War between Turkey and Russia sealed the rapprochement between Dashnaktsoutiun and Tsar Nicholas, who appealed to his Armenian subjects to join in the defence of the Empire. The unpleasantness of the past was not mentioned – only the great live of the Tsar for his Armenian children. As an expression of his sincerity, Nicholas made a personal inspection tour of the Caucasus front and conferred with Armenian political and religious leaders. Those who had cursed the Tsar ten years earlier now knelt offering homage and dedicating themselves to the triumph of Holy Russia. 23 Samson Haroutounian, President of the National Bureau, declared: "From all countries, Armenians are hurrying to enter the ranks of the glorious Russian Army, with their blood to serve the victory of Russian arms… Let the Russian flag wave freely over the Dardanelles and the Bosporus. Let, with Your will, great Majesty, the peoples remaining under the Turkish yoke receive freedom. Let the Armenian people of Turkey who have suffered for the faith of Christ receive resurrection for a new free life under the protection of Russia." 24
Catholicos Gevork V spoke of the benevolence shown the Armenians by Russian monarchs since the time of Peter the Great and of the leading role that Nicholas' government had assumed in the recent negotiations for reforms in Western Armenia. Changes to be implemented through the channels of Turkish government, however, invariably had remained dead letters: "The salvation of the Western Armenians is possible only by delivering them definitively from Turkish domination and by creating an autonomous Armenia under the powerful protectorate of great Russia." 25 Nicholas performed well on the emotional occasion as he exclaimed to the Catholicos, "Tell your flock, Holy Father, that a most brilliant future awaits the Armenians." 26 Though soothing and comforting to the political mind of the Armenians, such statements disturbed the few who feared that the declarations would only deepen the suspicion of the Ittihad government toward its Armenian subjects.
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