Tweet
Armenia celebrates First Republic Day
http://tert.am/en/news/2012/05/28/may-28/
09:54 ¢ 28.05.12
Today is May 28, the anniversary of Armenia's first republic.
The country declared its independence on May 28, 1918, two days after
the dissolution of the Transcaucasian Seim. The other states in the
Transcaucasian Federation ` Georgia and Azerbaijan ` became
independent on May 26 and 27.
The fact was enshrined in a May 28 declaration adopted by the Armenian
National Council of Tiflis (Tbilisi). Later, at the beginning of June,
the Council issued a statement that laid the foundations of the
Democratic Republic of Armenia. Before the government's arrival from
the Georgian capital, the Yerevan National Council took charge of the
country's affairs. It was headed by Aram Manukyan, who later became an
interior minister.
Shortly after declaring independence, Armenia was forced to sue for
negotiations at Treaty of Batumi, (signed in the Georgian town on June
4, 1918). Under the document, Turkey recognized Armenia's
independence, but the new republic was left with a mere 12,000 square
kilometers. Armenia thus lost its western provinces as well as several
regions in the east.
On May 30, 1918 the Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaksutyun
(ARF-D) had decided that Armenia should be a republic under a
provisional coalition government. The declaration stated that the
Republic of Armenia was to be a self-governing state, endowed with a
constitution, the supremacy of state authority, independence,
sovereignty, and plenipotentiary power. Katchaznouni became the
country's first Prime Minister and Aram Manukian was the first
minister of Interior.
Armenia established a Ministry of Interior and created a police force.
The Armenian parliament passed a law on the police on April 21, 1920,
specifying its structure, jurisdiction, and responsibilities.
On July 19, 1918, the National Council finally arrived in Armenia.
The country's supreme legislative body called the Council of Armenia
was formed on July 19. It was composed of different political parties,
as well as non-partisan members and national minorities (46 members.
of whom 18 were ARF-D representatives).
The executive, formed on July 24, represented three key figures ` the
prime minister, Hovhnannes Kachaznuni, the interior minister, Aram
Manukyan, and the minister of foreign affairs, Hovhannes Khatisyan.
At its first meeting on August 1, the Council appointed Avetik
Sahakyan (ARF-D) its chairman.
In 1919, the leaders of the Republic had to deal with issues on three
fronts: domestic, regional, and international. The Armenian Congress
of Eastern Armenians that took control in 1918 fell apart and in June
1919, the first national elections were held. The establishment of law
was a problem: Armenians had the most organized structure in their
homeland; however, several other ethnic groups had been settled for
many centuries in these lands, too (Kurds and Azeris were the major
ones).
The government of Hovhannes Kachaznuni was faced with a most sobering
reality in the winter of 1918-19. The newly formed government was
responsible for over half a million Armenian refugees in the Caucasus.
The homeless masses, lacking food, clothing and medicine, had to
endure the elements. Many who survived the exposure and famine
succumbed to the ravaging diseases. By the spring of 1919, the typhus
epidemic had run its course, the weather improved and the first
American Committee for Relief in the Near East shipment of wheat
reached Batumi. The British army transported the aid to Yerevan. Yet
by that time some 150,000 of the refugees had perished A report in
early 1919 noted that 65% of the population of Sardarabad, 40% of the
population of eight villages near Etchmiadzin and 25% of the
population of Ashtarak had died.
In 1920, the Republic of Armenia administered an area that covered
most of present-day Armenia, Kars, Igdir, and the Chuldur and Gole
districts of Ardahan, while the regions of Nakhichevan,
Nagorno-Karabakh, Zangezur (today the Armenian province of Syunik),
and Qazakh were disputed and fought over with Azerbaijan. The Oltu
region (briefly administered by Georgia in 1920) was also claimed by
Armenia. The majority-Armenian area of Lori was disputed with and
administered by Georgia. The areas south of Yerevan which were
populated by Muslims did not acknowledge Armenian authority and
resisted attempts by the Armenian government to assert its control
over those regions. Nevertheless, after the signing of the Treaty of
Sèvres in 1920, Armenia was granted formal international recognition.
The United States, as well as some South American countries,
officially opened diplomatic channels with the government. Numerous
Armenian missions were also established in Great Britain, Italy,
Germany, Serbia, Greece, Iran, Japan and Africa.
The Treaty of Sèvres was signed between the Allied and Associated
Powers and Ottoman Empire at Sèvres, France on August 10, 1920. The
treaty included a clause on Armenia: it made all parties signing the
treaty recognize Armenia as a free and independent state. The drawing
of definite borders was, however, left to President Woodrow Wilson and
the United States State Department, and was only presented to Armenia
on November 22. The new borders gave Armenia access to the Black Sea
and awarded large portions of the eastern provinces of the Ottoman
Empire to the republic.
The Turkish Revolutionaries saw the partitioning of Anatolia to be
unacceptable and revolted against the allies. Also due to some Turks
inside DRA being mistreated and oppressed by Armenians brought more
reason to start a military offensive. On September 20, 1920, the
Turkish General Kazım Karabekir invaded the region of Sarikamish. In
response, Armenia declared war on Turkey on September 24 and the
Turkish`Armenian War began. In the regions of Oltu, Sarikamish, Kars,
Alexandropol (Gyumri) Armenian forces clashed with those of
Karabekir's armies. Mustafa Kemal Pasha had sent several delegations
to Moscow in search of an alliance, where he had found a receptive
response by the Soviet government, which started sending gold and
weapons to the Turkish revolutionaries. This proved disastrous for the
Armenians.
Armenia gave way to communist power in late 1920. In November 1920,
the Turkish revolutionaries captured Alexandropol and were poised to
move in on the capital. A cease fire was concluded on November 18.
Negotiations were then carried out between Karabekir and a peace
delegation led by Alexander Khatisian in Alexandropol; although
Karabekir's terms were extremely harsh the Armenian delegation had
little recourse but to agree to them. The Treaty of Alexandropol was
thus signed in early December.
Russia's 11th Red Army began its virtually unopposed advance into
Armenia on November 29, 1920. The actual transfer of power took place
on December 2 in Yerevan. The Armenian leadership approved an
ultimatum, presented to it by the Soviet plenipotentiary Boris Legran.
Armenia decided to join the Soviet sphere, while Soviet Russia agreed
to protect its remaining territory from the advancing Turkish army.
The Soviets also pledged to take steps to rebuild the army, protect
the Armenians and to not pursue non-communist Armenians, although the
final condition of this pledge was reneged when the Dashnaks were
forced out of the country.
On December 5, the Armenian Revolutionary Committee also entered the
city. On December 5, the Armenian Revolutionary Committee also entered
the city. Soon, the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic was proclaimed,
under the leadership of Alexander Miasnikyan. It was to be included
into the newly created Transcaucasian Soviet Federated Socialist
Republic.
http://tert.am/en/news/2012/05/28/may-28/
09:54 ¢ 28.05.12
Today is May 28, the anniversary of Armenia's first republic.
The country declared its independence on May 28, 1918, two days after
the dissolution of the Transcaucasian Seim. The other states in the
Transcaucasian Federation ` Georgia and Azerbaijan ` became
independent on May 26 and 27.
The fact was enshrined in a May 28 declaration adopted by the Armenian
National Council of Tiflis (Tbilisi). Later, at the beginning of June,
the Council issued a statement that laid the foundations of the
Democratic Republic of Armenia. Before the government's arrival from
the Georgian capital, the Yerevan National Council took charge of the
country's affairs. It was headed by Aram Manukyan, who later became an
interior minister.
Shortly after declaring independence, Armenia was forced to sue for
negotiations at Treaty of Batumi, (signed in the Georgian town on June
4, 1918). Under the document, Turkey recognized Armenia's
independence, but the new republic was left with a mere 12,000 square
kilometers. Armenia thus lost its western provinces as well as several
regions in the east.
On May 30, 1918 the Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaksutyun
(ARF-D) had decided that Armenia should be a republic under a
provisional coalition government. The declaration stated that the
Republic of Armenia was to be a self-governing state, endowed with a
constitution, the supremacy of state authority, independence,
sovereignty, and plenipotentiary power. Katchaznouni became the
country's first Prime Minister and Aram Manukian was the first
minister of Interior.
Armenia established a Ministry of Interior and created a police force.
The Armenian parliament passed a law on the police on April 21, 1920,
specifying its structure, jurisdiction, and responsibilities.
On July 19, 1918, the National Council finally arrived in Armenia.
The country's supreme legislative body called the Council of Armenia
was formed on July 19. It was composed of different political parties,
as well as non-partisan members and national minorities (46 members.
of whom 18 were ARF-D representatives).
The executive, formed on July 24, represented three key figures ` the
prime minister, Hovhnannes Kachaznuni, the interior minister, Aram
Manukyan, and the minister of foreign affairs, Hovhannes Khatisyan.
At its first meeting on August 1, the Council appointed Avetik
Sahakyan (ARF-D) its chairman.
In 1919, the leaders of the Republic had to deal with issues on three
fronts: domestic, regional, and international. The Armenian Congress
of Eastern Armenians that took control in 1918 fell apart and in June
1919, the first national elections were held. The establishment of law
was a problem: Armenians had the most organized structure in their
homeland; however, several other ethnic groups had been settled for
many centuries in these lands, too (Kurds and Azeris were the major
ones).
The government of Hovhannes Kachaznuni was faced with a most sobering
reality in the winter of 1918-19. The newly formed government was
responsible for over half a million Armenian refugees in the Caucasus.
The homeless masses, lacking food, clothing and medicine, had to
endure the elements. Many who survived the exposure and famine
succumbed to the ravaging diseases. By the spring of 1919, the typhus
epidemic had run its course, the weather improved and the first
American Committee for Relief in the Near East shipment of wheat
reached Batumi. The British army transported the aid to Yerevan. Yet
by that time some 150,000 of the refugees had perished A report in
early 1919 noted that 65% of the population of Sardarabad, 40% of the
population of eight villages near Etchmiadzin and 25% of the
population of Ashtarak had died.
In 1920, the Republic of Armenia administered an area that covered
most of present-day Armenia, Kars, Igdir, and the Chuldur and Gole
districts of Ardahan, while the regions of Nakhichevan,
Nagorno-Karabakh, Zangezur (today the Armenian province of Syunik),
and Qazakh were disputed and fought over with Azerbaijan. The Oltu
region (briefly administered by Georgia in 1920) was also claimed by
Armenia. The majority-Armenian area of Lori was disputed with and
administered by Georgia. The areas south of Yerevan which were
populated by Muslims did not acknowledge Armenian authority and
resisted attempts by the Armenian government to assert its control
over those regions. Nevertheless, after the signing of the Treaty of
Sèvres in 1920, Armenia was granted formal international recognition.
The United States, as well as some South American countries,
officially opened diplomatic channels with the government. Numerous
Armenian missions were also established in Great Britain, Italy,
Germany, Serbia, Greece, Iran, Japan and Africa.
The Treaty of Sèvres was signed between the Allied and Associated
Powers and Ottoman Empire at Sèvres, France on August 10, 1920. The
treaty included a clause on Armenia: it made all parties signing the
treaty recognize Armenia as a free and independent state. The drawing
of definite borders was, however, left to President Woodrow Wilson and
the United States State Department, and was only presented to Armenia
on November 22. The new borders gave Armenia access to the Black Sea
and awarded large portions of the eastern provinces of the Ottoman
Empire to the republic.
The Turkish Revolutionaries saw the partitioning of Anatolia to be
unacceptable and revolted against the allies. Also due to some Turks
inside DRA being mistreated and oppressed by Armenians brought more
reason to start a military offensive. On September 20, 1920, the
Turkish General Kazım Karabekir invaded the region of Sarikamish. In
response, Armenia declared war on Turkey on September 24 and the
Turkish`Armenian War began. In the regions of Oltu, Sarikamish, Kars,
Alexandropol (Gyumri) Armenian forces clashed with those of
Karabekir's armies. Mustafa Kemal Pasha had sent several delegations
to Moscow in search of an alliance, where he had found a receptive
response by the Soviet government, which started sending gold and
weapons to the Turkish revolutionaries. This proved disastrous for the
Armenians.
Armenia gave way to communist power in late 1920. In November 1920,
the Turkish revolutionaries captured Alexandropol and were poised to
move in on the capital. A cease fire was concluded on November 18.
Negotiations were then carried out between Karabekir and a peace
delegation led by Alexander Khatisian in Alexandropol; although
Karabekir's terms were extremely harsh the Armenian delegation had
little recourse but to agree to them. The Treaty of Alexandropol was
thus signed in early December.
Russia's 11th Red Army began its virtually unopposed advance into
Armenia on November 29, 1920. The actual transfer of power took place
on December 2 in Yerevan. The Armenian leadership approved an
ultimatum, presented to it by the Soviet plenipotentiary Boris Legran.
Armenia decided to join the Soviet sphere, while Soviet Russia agreed
to protect its remaining territory from the advancing Turkish army.
The Soviets also pledged to take steps to rebuild the army, protect
the Armenians and to not pursue non-communist Armenians, although the
final condition of this pledge was reneged when the Dashnaks were
forced out of the country.
On December 5, the Armenian Revolutionary Committee also entered the
city. On December 5, the Armenian Revolutionary Committee also entered
the city. Soon, the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic was proclaimed,
under the leadership of Alexander Miasnikyan. It was to be included
into the newly created Transcaucasian Soviet Federated Socialist
Republic.