Armenian Comittees and their activities

The Armenian Commitees and their Activities against the Ottoman Empire

The Armenian historian Richard Hovannisian asserts that "the Armenians of the nineteenth century were not prepared, however, to propose independence ... For the eastern Ottoman provinces, most Armenian leaders considered self­ determination within the framework of the Turkish Empire as the most desirable improvement.
Of the several political and revolutionary societies organized during the last quarter of the century only the Hunchakist, a Marxist organization initiated in 1887 at Geneva, advocated outright separation from the Ottoman Empire."(5)

However, Hratch Dasnabedian summarizes the situation prior to the establishment of the Hunchakist organization:

"Even before 1878, in the regions of Daron-Sasoun and Vasbouragan there had been underground cells, secret groups, and bands of "brigands" who fought against government forces. During the eighties, Khrimian and Mgrdich Portugalian were active in Van ... Expelled from Van in 1885, Mgrdich Portugalian left the Ottoman Empire and settled in Marseille, where he published the periodical 'Armenia '. His students and friends in Van considered 'Armenia' their voice, and in 1886 established the 'Armenagan' Party, the purpose of which was to secure the sovereignty of the Armenian people through revolution. "(6)

"Toward the close of the eighties, both Eastern and Western Armenians were caught up in the excitement of revolution. The Hunchakians had begun to expand throughout Constantinople., Asia Minor and Trebizond. In Vasbouragan the Armenagans were at work. In Tiflis the Yeridasart Hayastan organization had been established; its members periodically visited Ottoman Armenia to become more familiar with the situation and disposition of Armenians there; on both sides of the border they had established military cells, called the 'Droshak' groups. In various regions of Western Armenia bands of 'brigands' or groups of partisans were already operating or gradually being formed .. .In Russia, the cities of Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Tiflis were centers of students moved by the spirit of revolution. In 1890, Sarkis Gougounian, a student in St. Petersburg, formed an armed group of 125 young patriots to cross from Kars into Turkish Armenia. "(7)

Apart from the Marxist separatist Hunchakist organization, a second Armenian organization was founded in 1890 in Tiflis. Hovannisian defines this organization:

"In Transcaucasia and the eastern Ottoman vilayets, the platform Hai Heghapokhakan Dashnaktsutiun (Armenian Revolutionary Federation) founded in 1890 at Tiflis, became by the first years of the twentieth century the most powerful and comprehensive Armenian political organization. Its initial program, adopted in 1892, propounded the administrative and economic freedom of Turkish Armenia ... To effect these aims, the Dashnaktsutiun would organize fighting units, arm the populace, operate an espionage network, propagandize to raise the revolutionary spirit of Armenians, and, in particular, resort to the terrorization of corrupt officials, traitors and exploiters. The methods adopted by Dashnaktsutiun were similar to those of the Russian Narodnaia Volia and its successor, the Social Revolutionary Party, both of which maintained close contact and ideological bonds with the Armenian leaders. "(8)

Indeed, K.S.Papazian writes that in the program of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARP) adopted at the General Convention of 1892 the purpose of the organization is stated to be the achievement of political and economic freedom by means of rebellion.(9)

According to Papazian, "to run with the hare and to hunt with the hound has been the tactics oftheARF"(l 0)

(5) Richard G.Hovannisian, Almenia on the Road to Independence 1918 (California, 1967), p.16
(6) Hratch Dasnabedian, History of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaktsutiun 1890/1924 (Milan, 1989), p.21
(7) Dasnabedian, op. cit., p.29 (8) Hovannisian, op. cit., p.16
(8) Hovannisian, op. cit., p.16
(9) K. S. Papazian, Patriotism Perverted (Boston, 1934), p.lO
(10) Papazian, op. cit,. P.1l.

The American Commission under the leadership of General James G. Harbord, refers to the Dashnaktsutiun in the following terms in its report presented to the Peace Conference and the United States Government in 1919:

"This is really a political society rather than a party. It contains three clearly defined elements, all of which are strongly socialist.
a- The right wing composed of comitadji (meaning secret revolutionists who believe in '}trong armed methods)
b- The centre comprising intellectuals who control both wings,
c- The left wing which is almost Bolshevist. It is highly organized, has agents everywhere and still plays a dominant part in Armenian national life. The opponents of the Dashnaktsutiun say that, despite its patriotic work, it is only a relic of barbarism and must be suppressed. It is probable that the Dashnaktsutuin still employs terroristic methods, and undeniable that it is now a wurce of danger, owing to its liability to precipitate coriflicts. "

Whereas Papazian asserts that "Terrorism has,from the first, been adopted by the Dashnag Committee of the Caucasus, as a policy or a method for achieving its ends. "( 11 )

In fact, the heading "Means" in the Dashnag program adopted in 1892 reads as follows:

"The Armenian Revolutionary Federation, in order to achieve its 'Jurpose through rebellion, organizes revolutionary groups ... "(12)

M.Varandian, the most prominent Dashnag ideologist and historian says:

"The purpose of the Armenian movement, has been, from the beginning, to Jrganize as far as possible a long drawn-out fight against the Ottoman tyranny, fO create in the country a continuous revolutionary state, always having before Jur eyes the intervention of the third factor. .. the European factor"( 13)

Lt. Col. Sir Mark Sykes, proposes a similar view about the tactics of the revolutionaries. He writes in 1915:

“... the Armenians of the Mush plain are at present an extremely difficult people to manage. They are very avaricious and would object to pay the most moderate taxes; they are also exceedingly treacherous to one another, and oftenjoin the revolutionaries to wipe off old scores on their fellow villagers. As for the tactics of the revolutionaries, anything more fiendish one could not imagine-the assassination of Moslems in order to bring about punishment of innocent men, the midnight extortion of money from villages which have just paid their taxes by day, the murder of persons who refuse to contribute to their collection boxes, are only some of the crimes of which Moslems, Catholics, and Gregorians accuse them with no uncertain voice .... if the object of the Armenians is to secure equality before the law, and the maintenance of security and peace in the countries part inhabited by Armenians, then I can only say that their methods are not those calculated to achieve success. "( 14)

(11) Ibid,p.14
(12) Ibid, p 14
(13) Mikael Varandian, History of the A.R.Federation (Paris, 1932 and Cairo, 1950), p.3
(14) Sir Mark Sykes, The Caliph's Last Heritage (London 1915), ppA09,41