Armenian national movement

Quick Facts: Who was Armenian national movement?

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Armenian national movement

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A complex political and military struggle for Armenian self-determination in the Ottoman and Russian Empires.

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Origins & Early Life

The Armenian national movement (Armenian: Հայ ազգային-ազատագրական շարժում Hay azgayin-azatagrakan sharzhum) included social, cultural, but primarily political and military movements that reached their height during World War I and the following years, initially seeking improved status for Armenians in the Ottoman and Russian Empires but eventually attempting to achieve an Armenian state. Influenced by the Age of Enlightenment, the French Revolution, and the rise of other nationalist movements in the Ottoman Empire, the Armenian national awakening developed in the early 1860s. During the Tanzimat Era, the Armenian elite worked with Ottoman reformers to prevent banditry and abuses by nomadic Kurdish tribes, particularly in the six Armenian-populated vilayets of the Ottoman Empire. When this goal failed, Armenian nationalism took hold over the intelligentsia, and the autonomy or independence for Armenians in the Ottoman and the Russian Empires was the next step. Starting in the late 1880s, Armenian nationalists engaged in guerrilla warfare against the Ottoman government and Kurdish irregulars in the eastern regions of the empire, led by the three Armenian political parties: the Social Democrat Hunchakian Party (Hunchak), the Armenakan Party and the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnak).

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Armenian nationalists generally saw Russia as their ally for independence from the Turks, although Russia maintained an oppressive policy in the Caucasus. After the Young Turk Revolution, Armenian political parties replaced the traditional authority of the Ottoman loyalist amira class. These parties, especially the Dashnaks, held a tense working relationship with the Committee of Union and Progress. The Ottoman government signed the Armenian reform package in early 1914, however it was shelved by World War I. During World War I, Armenians were systematically exterminated by the Ottoman government in the Armenian genocide. According to some estimates, from 1915 to 1917, about 800,000–1,500,000 Armenians were killed.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

After the decision to exterminate the Armenians was taken by the Ottoman Ministry of Interior, tens of thousands of Russian Armenians joined the Russian army as Armenian volunteer units upon Russian promises for autonomy. By 1917, Russia controlled many Armenian-populated areas of the Ottoman Empire. After the October Revolution, Russian forces retreated and transferred control of occupied Ottoman Anatolia to Armenian units. The Armenian National Council proclaimed the Republic of Armenia on May 28, 1918, thus establishing an Armenian state in the Armenian-populated parts of the Southern Caucasus. By 1920, the Bolshevik Government in Russia and the Ankara government came to power in their respective countries.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1914: 1914 Milestone — The Ottoman government signed the Armenian reform package in early 1914, however it was shelved by World War I.
2. 1915: 1915 Milestone — According to some estimates, from 1915 to 1917, about 800,000–1,500,000 Armenians were killed.
3. 1917: 1917 Milestone — By 1917, Russia controlled many Armenian-populated areas of the Ottoman Empire.
4. 1918: 1918 Milestone — The Armenian National Council proclaimed the Republic of Armenia on May 28, 1918, thus establishing an Armenian state in the Armenian-populated parts of the Southern Caucasus.
5. 1920: 1920 Milestone — By 1920, the Bolshevik Government in Russia and the Ankara government came to power in their respective countries.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Armenian national movement

True or False: “The Armenian national movement achieved full international recognition as a sovereign state immediately following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire in 1918.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): While the Republic of Armenia was proclaimed in 1918, its existence was immediately challenged by neighboring powers and internal conflicts.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

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• Abdul Hamid II — Historical peer (Died in 1918) (1918): Last effective Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, navigating decline and constitutional upheaval.
• Abraham Pais — Historical peer (Born in 1918) (1918): Pioneering physicist and acclaimed science historian of modern physics.
• Abraham Kuyper — Historical peer (Died in 1920) (1920): Influential neo-Calvinist pastor, journalist, and Prime Minister of the Netherlands.
• Ahmad bin Ali Al Thani — Historical peer (Born in 1920) (1920): Emir of Qatar (1960–1972) whose reign oversaw the nation's oil boom and independence.

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