Andranik Toros Ozanian
Encyclopedia
Andranik Ozanian Andranik Toros Ozanian (Անդրանիկ Թորոսի Օզանյան), General Andranik (Զորավար Անդրանիկ Zoravar Andranik), also as Antranik or Antranig (February 25, 1865 – August 31, 1927) was an Armenian general, political and public activist and freedom fighter, greatly admired as a national hero.
(present-day Şebinkarahisar
, Giresun Province
, Turkey
). His mother died when he was one year old, so his elder sister Nazeli took care of him. Antranik finished the local Musheghian school and became an apprentice in his father's carpentry shop.
, and participated in various political parties, including Armenian Revolutionary Federation
. He met the military commander Aghpyur Serob
and joined his fedayeen. After the death of Serob (1899) he became the common leader of Armenian fedayee groups of Vaspurakan
and Sassoun (Western Armenia
). All of Andranik's lieutenants accepted that their leader possessed undisputed authority and superiority in military matters and that he was "primus inter pares
" (the first among equals). Such was the popularity Andranik earned among the men he led that they came to refer to him always by his first name - even formally, when he later held a general's rank in the Imperial Russian Army
.
The death of Serob Paşa
had caused many in the fedayee circles to seek a successor for the revolutionary movement. Andranik was soon elected for this position. Andranik's first mission was to capture and kill the perpetrators of Serob's murder. The person responsible was a man named Beshara Khalil, a Hamidiye
, Ottoman Kurd soldier and chief of the Kherzeni tribe. Khalil was supported by the Ottoman government and was notorious for sacking Armenian villages and committing atrocities against the population. Khalil had killed Serop and placed his head on a pole to parade it in the squares of Mush
and Bitlis
. The aim was to terrorize the Armenian population and demonstrate to the Armenian revolutionaries the consequences of not submitting to the Ottoman and Kurdish Aghas unconditional tax demands. Andranik and his fedayees decided to devise a trap to kill Khalil. The road guide assisting Khalil's expedition was an ethnic Armenian. He became dismayed by the atrocities committed, and decided to inform Andranik of the direction he was leading Khalil. Andranik and his fedayees quickly created trenches alongside those roads. As Khalil approached, the Armenian guide gave a signal to the hidden fedayees.
The battle began with Kevork Chavoush opening the first fire. They manage to kill two of Khalil's soldiers, while the rest scattered. As Khalil began to escape, his horse came alongside the trenches of Andranik. He opened fire and wounded the horse causing Khalil to fall. Andranik and his feedayes quickly captured him . Andranik told him, "Are you the one who killed Serop!" He did not reply. They then asked him a second time. Khalil replied that his time was already up, and that they may do whatever they wish to him. At this moment Andranik took his dagger, placed it under the neck of Khalil. However, Khalil was wearing a thick traditional Muslim scarf and did not die instantaneously. It is said that Kevork Chavoush took his dagger leading to the death of the wounded Khalil. In Khalil's pocket, the feedayes discovered the name of 40 Armenians that had been aiding Khalil's atrocities against the Armenians. Inside the list, was Rewez Aved, the Armenian who was bribed by Khalil to poison Serop. Andranik, Kevork Chavoush, Haroutiun (dies at Battle of Arakelots Vank), alongside with their feedayes set out to find the traitors. They eventually capture Reis Aved, and avenged Serop's death from all perpetrators.
The most famous battles of Andranik and his fedayees in that period were the guerrilla battles of Arakelots (St. Apostles) Monastery of Mush
(1901) and the Second Sasun Resistance (1904). Fellow revolutionaries that participated with Andranik during the battle of Arakelots Vank included: Kevork Chavoush, Seydo Boghos, Hajji Hagop, Haroutiun, and Ghazar. The out numbered Armenian fedayees and their victory against the superior Ottoman army resulted in a boost of moral for all Armenians across the empire. Thus, begun the process of elevating Andranik as one of the leading figures of the fedayees. After the Second Sasun Resistance (1904), Andranik and his feedayis were forced into exile by local Armenian authorities, and pressured from Armenian leaders to allow temporary peace in the highly violitle eastern vilâyets. He passed through the Persian border, eventually arriving in Europe
and published his "Military instructions" book in Geneva
in 1906.
, Andranik met revolutionist Boris Sarafov
, and the two pledged themselves to work jointly for the oppressed peoples of Armenia and Macedonia
. Andranik participated in the Balkan Wars
of 1912-1913, within the Bulgaria
n army, alongside Garegin Nzhdeh as a commander of Armenian auxiliary troops in Macedonian-Adrianopolitan Volunteer Corps
. Bulgarian authorities honoured him by the "Cross of Bravery".
Leon Trotsky
in his correspondence from a Balkan battlefield wrote about Andranik:
He retired to Galata, Varna
, on the Black Sea
, where he lived with his sister until the outbreak of the World War I
.
, he participated in the Caucasus Campaign
and was appointed as general of the Armenian volunteer units
of the Russian army. He participated in 20 different offensives where he gained fame due to his courage and the tactics he employed to defeat the opposing forces. The Russian authorities made Andranik a Major General
in 1918 and decorated him six times for gallantry.
The writer, intellectual and ARF leader Mikayel Varandian
wrote about Andranik: "Not less courageous and not less capable than Serob Aghbiur
, Andranik had both intelligence and instinct. A born strategist, with a thorough knowledge of the mountains and valleys of the motherland, he was a unique and unparalleled leader and commander. He was audacious and courageous, also cautious and farsighted".
He was the commanding officer of the Armenian volunteer units, which helped the Van Resistance
take control of Van
on May 6, 1915. He helped re-capture the city from Ottoman forces during the Battle of Van. He was also the commander of the battalion that took the city of Bitlis
(see: Battle of Bitlis
) from the Ottoman forces that was under control of Halil Pasha. Between March 1918 - April 1918, he was the governor of the Administration for Western Armenia
(The Armenia
n provisional government
of a progressive autonomous region that initially set up around Lake Van
).
His military leadership was instrumental in allowing the Armenian population of Van to escape the Ottoman Army and flee to Eastern Armenia
, then controlled by Russia
. The territory later became the Democratic Republic of Armenia
.
According to the Literary Digest
,
After the formation of the Democratic Republic of Armenia
(DRA), he organized and fought alongside volunteer units to combat the Ottoman army. Andranik was leading his army in combat against the Ottomans during the signing of the Treaty of Batum
, and refused to accept the borders stated by the treaty. As the commander of Armenian forces at Nakhitchevan, he "has protected in the name of the Armenian Army against the peace treaty with Turkey, and has declared that his army is determined to continue the war against Turks". His activities were concentrated at the link between the Ottoman Empire and the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic
at Karabakh
, Zanghezur
and Nakhichevan
. Ozanian struck back at the Ottoman Fronts, Army of Islam.
Andranik tried several times to seize Shusha
. Just before the Armistice of Mudros
was signed, Andranik was on the way from Zangezur
to Shusha
, to control the main city of Karabakh
. In January 1919 Armenian troops advancing, the British forces (General William M. Thomson) ordered Andranik back to Zangezur
, and gave him assurances that a favorable treaty would be reached at the Paris Peace Conference, of 1919
.
, California
, United States
. The New York Times reported, that among the passengers who arrived on November 22, 1919 from Havre on the French liner Savoie to ask US for a mandate "was General Ozanian Antranik, the hero of Armenia, who held out at Zangezour with a handful of troops against the Turkish Army until he was relieved on Dec. 13, 1918, by a British expeditionary force, more than a month after the armistice was signed, and saved 30,000 starving refugees". He was accompanied on the Savoie by General Jaques Bagratuni, Captain Haig Bonapartian, and Lieutenant Ter-Pogossian.
In 1920, the Literary Digest
described him as Armenia's "Robin Hood, Garibaldi, and Washington, all in one ..."
On December 7, 1919, a meeting in honor of the civil and military missions from Armenia took place at the New York Hippodrome
:
Andranik Ozanian lived in Fresno
for 5 years until his death on August 31, 1927 at the age of 62. According to county records, he died at Richardson Springs, Chico
, in Northern California
. According to the New York Times, more than 2500 members of the Armenian community attended memorial services in Carnegie Hall
for General Andranik Ozanian.
but Communist officials refused entry. His remains were then moved to the Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris
in 1928, and eventually returned to Armenia in 2000, where he was buried at the Yerablur
military cemetery. In 1995 Zoravar Andranik's Museum was founded in the Komitas Park of Yerevan.
The oldest staue of General Andranik was erected in 1945 for his grave in Père Lachaise Cemetery
.
First statue of Andranik was put in 1967 in Ujan
village near Ashtarak
, where many survivors
of the Armenian Genocide
had settled in 1910s-1920s.
There are 6 statues of General Andranik in Armenia - 2 in Yerevan
(large equestrian statue near the Saint Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral
and near the Holy Trinity Church in Malatia-Sebastia district) and 4 outside of Yerevan: Gyumri
, Navur
, Ujan
and Voskevan
.
General Andranik is greatly admired in Bulgaria. He fought for the Bulgarian Army dring the Balkan Wars
in 1912-1913. There are two statues of him in Bulgaria: in Varna (erected in 2011) and Sofia.
There are also statues of General Andranik in Bucharest
(Romania) and Buenos-Aires (Argentina).
Early Age
Antranik Toros Ozanian was born in the church quarter of Shabin Karahisar, Ottoman EmpireOttoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
(present-day Şebinkarahisar
Sebinkarahisar
Şebinkarahisar is a town and a district of Giresun Province in the Black Sea region of eastern Turkey.-Name:The 6th century Byzantine historian Procopius writes that the Roman general Pompey captured the then ancient fortress and renamed it Colonia, in Greek Koloneia...
, Giresun Province
Giresun Province
Giresun Province is a province of Turkey on the Black Sea coast. Its adjacent provinces are Trabzon to the east, Gümüşhane to the south-west, Erzincan to the south, Sivas to the south-east, and Ordu to the west. The provincial capital is Giresun....
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
). His mother died when he was one year old, so his elder sister Nazeli took care of him. Antranik finished the local Musheghian school and became an apprentice in his father's carpentry shop.
Revolutionary activities
After losing his wife and son at an early age, Andranik joined the Armenian freedom movement in the Ottoman EmpireOttoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
, and participated in various political parties, including Armenian Revolutionary Federation
Armenian Revolutionary Federation
The Armenian Revolutionary Federation is an Armenian political party founded in Tiflis in 1890 by Christapor Mikaelian, Stepan Zorian, and Simon Zavarian...
. He met the military commander Aghpyur Serob
Serob Pasa
Serob Vartanian, more prominently known by his nom de guerre Aghbiur Serob or Serob Pasha born Serob Vardanian was a famed Armenian military commander who organized a guerrilla network that fought against the Ottoman Empire during the latter 19th century.- Life as a...
and joined his fedayeen. After the death of Serob (1899) he became the common leader of Armenian fedayee groups of Vaspurakan
Vaspurakan
Vaspurakan was the first and biggest province of Greater Armenia, which later became an independent kingdom during the Middle Ages, centered around Lake Van...
and Sassoun (Western Armenia
Western Armenia
Western Armenia is a term, primarily used by Armenians, to refer to Armenian-inhabited areas of the Armenian Highland that were part of the Ottoman Empire and now are part of the Republic of Turkey....
). All of Andranik's lieutenants accepted that their leader possessed undisputed authority and superiority in military matters and that he was "primus inter pares
Primus inter pares
Primus inter pares is Latin phrase describing the most senior person of a group sharing the same rank or office.When not used in reference to a specific title, it may indicate that the person so described is formally equal, but looked upon as an authority of special importance by their peers...
" (the first among equals). Such was the popularity Andranik earned among the men he led that they came to refer to him always by his first name - even formally, when he later held a general's rank in the Imperial Russian Army
Imperial Russian Army
The Imperial Russian Army was the land armed force of the Russian Empire, active from around 1721 to the Russian Revolution of 1917. In the early 1850s, the Russian army consisted of around 938,731 regular soldiers and 245,850 irregulars . Until the time of military reform of Dmitry Milyutin in...
.
The death of Serob Paşa
Serob Pasa
Serob Vartanian, more prominently known by his nom de guerre Aghbiur Serob or Serob Pasha born Serob Vardanian was a famed Armenian military commander who organized a guerrilla network that fought against the Ottoman Empire during the latter 19th century.- Life as a...
had caused many in the fedayee circles to seek a successor for the revolutionary movement. Andranik was soon elected for this position. Andranik's first mission was to capture and kill the perpetrators of Serob's murder. The person responsible was a man named Beshara Khalil, a Hamidiye
Hamidiye
Hamidiye may refer to:* Hamidiye , Kurdish cavalry of the Ottoman era, established 1890* Ottoman cruiser Hamidiye, a warship of the Balkan wars and World War I...
, Ottoman Kurd soldier and chief of the Kherzeni tribe. Khalil was supported by the Ottoman government and was notorious for sacking Armenian villages and committing atrocities against the population. Khalil had killed Serop and placed his head on a pole to parade it in the squares of Mush
Mush
Mush may refer to:*mush , a kind of corn pudding or porridge*mushing , a sport or transport method powered by dogs or a command to a dog team*Muş Province , in eastern Turkey**Muş , the capital of Muş Province...
and Bitlis
Bitlis
Bitlis is a town in eastern Turkey and the capital of Bitlis Province. The town is located at an elevation of 1,400 metres, 15 km from Lake Van, in the steep-sided valley of the Bitlis River, a tributary of the Tigris. The local economy is mainly based on agricultural products which include...
. The aim was to terrorize the Armenian population and demonstrate to the Armenian revolutionaries the consequences of not submitting to the Ottoman and Kurdish Aghas unconditional tax demands. Andranik and his fedayees decided to devise a trap to kill Khalil. The road guide assisting Khalil's expedition was an ethnic Armenian. He became dismayed by the atrocities committed, and decided to inform Andranik of the direction he was leading Khalil. Andranik and his fedayees quickly created trenches alongside those roads. As Khalil approached, the Armenian guide gave a signal to the hidden fedayees.
The battle began with Kevork Chavoush opening the first fire. They manage to kill two of Khalil's soldiers, while the rest scattered. As Khalil began to escape, his horse came alongside the trenches of Andranik. He opened fire and wounded the horse causing Khalil to fall. Andranik and his feedayes quickly captured him . Andranik told him, "Are you the one who killed Serop!" He did not reply. They then asked him a second time. Khalil replied that his time was already up, and that they may do whatever they wish to him. At this moment Andranik took his dagger, placed it under the neck of Khalil. However, Khalil was wearing a thick traditional Muslim scarf and did not die instantaneously. It is said that Kevork Chavoush took his dagger leading to the death of the wounded Khalil. In Khalil's pocket, the feedayes discovered the name of 40 Armenians that had been aiding Khalil's atrocities against the Armenians. Inside the list, was Rewez Aved, the Armenian who was bribed by Khalil to poison Serop. Andranik, Kevork Chavoush, Haroutiun (dies at Battle of Arakelots Vank), alongside with their feedayes set out to find the traitors. They eventually capture Reis Aved, and avenged Serop's death from all perpetrators.
The most famous battles of Andranik and his fedayees in that period were the guerrilla battles of Arakelots (St. Apostles) Monastery of Mush
Mus Province
Muş Province is a province in eastern Turkey. It is 8,196 km² in area, and has a population of 406,886 . The population was 453,654 in 2000. The provincial capital is the city of Muş...
(1901) and the Second Sasun Resistance (1904). Fellow revolutionaries that participated with Andranik during the battle of Arakelots Vank included: Kevork Chavoush, Seydo Boghos, Hajji Hagop, Haroutiun, and Ghazar. The out numbered Armenian fedayees and their victory against the superior Ottoman army resulted in a boost of moral for all Armenians across the empire. Thus, begun the process of elevating Andranik as one of the leading figures of the fedayees. After the Second Sasun Resistance (1904), Andranik and his feedayis were forced into exile by local Armenian authorities, and pressured from Armenian leaders to allow temporary peace in the highly violitle eastern vilâyets. He passed through the Persian border, eventually arriving in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and published his "Military instructions" book in Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
in 1906.
Balkan Wars
At SofiaSofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
, Andranik met revolutionist Boris Sarafov
Boris Sarafov
Boris Petrov Sarafov was a revolutionary from the region of Macedonia, one of the leaders of Supreme Macedonian-Adrianople Committee and Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization...
, and the two pledged themselves to work jointly for the oppressed peoples of Armenia and Macedonia
Macedonia (region)
Macedonia is a geographical and historical region of the Balkan peninsula in southeastern Europe. Its boundaries have changed considerably over time, but nowadays the region is considered to include parts of five Balkan countries: Greece, the Republic of Macedonia, Bulgaria, Albania, Serbia, as...
. Andranik participated in the Balkan Wars
Balkan Wars
The Balkan Wars were two conflicts that took place in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe in 1912 and 1913.By the early 20th century, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia, the countries of the Balkan League, had achieved their independence from the Ottoman Empire, but large parts of their ethnic...
of 1912-1913, within the Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
n army, alongside Garegin Nzhdeh as a commander of Armenian auxiliary troops in Macedonian-Adrianopolitan Volunteer Corps
Macedonian-Adrianopolitan Volunteer Corps
The Macedonian-Adrianopolitan Volunteer Corps was a volunteer corps of the Bulgarian Army during the Balkan Wars. It was formed on 23 September 1912 and consisted of Bulgarian volunteers from Macedonia and Thrace, regions still under Ottoman rule, and thus not subject to Bulgarian military...
. Bulgarian authorities honoured him by the "Cross of Bravery".
Leon Trotsky
Leon Trotsky
Leon Trotsky , born Lev Davidovich Bronshtein, was a Russian Marxist revolutionary and theorist, Soviet politician, and the founder and first leader of the Red Army....
in his correspondence from a Balkan battlefield wrote about Andranik:
"At the head of the Armenian volunteer troop formed in Sofia stood Andranik, a hero of song and legend. He is of middle height, wears a peaked cap and high boots, is lean, with greying hair and wrinkles, fierce moustaches and a shaved chin, and has the air of a man who, after an over-long historical interval has found himself once more."
He retired to Galata, Varna
Varna
Varna is the largest city and seaside resort on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast and third-largest in Bulgaria after Sofia and Plovdiv, with a population of 334,870 inhabitants according to Census 2011...
, on the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
, where he lived with his sister until the outbreak of the World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
World War I
During World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, he participated in the Caucasus Campaign
Caucasus Campaign
The Caucasus Campaign comprised armed conflicts between the Ottoman Empire and the Russian Empire, later including Azerbaijan, Armenia, Central Caspian Dictatorship and the UK as part of the Middle Eastern theatre or alternatively named as part of the Caucasus Campaign during World War I...
and was appointed as general of the Armenian volunteer units
Armenian volunteer units
Armenian volunteer units, also known the Armenian volunteer corps were Armenian battalions in Russian and British armies during the World War I. Majority of these units support the military activities at the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I. The origin of these units were varied. Some units...
of the Russian army. He participated in 20 different offensives where he gained fame due to his courage and the tactics he employed to defeat the opposing forces. The Russian authorities made Andranik a Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
in 1918 and decorated him six times for gallantry.
The writer, intellectual and ARF leader Mikayel Varandian
Mikayel Varandian
Mikayel Varandian was an Armenian historian.He studied at Geneva University, where he met Kristapor Mikaelian and Rostom, since 1898 he was one of the main contributors of Droshak Journal. Since 1907 he was the Representative of ARF at the Second International, contacted with the European socialists...
wrote about Andranik: "Not less courageous and not less capable than Serob Aghbiur
Serob Pasa
Serob Vartanian, more prominently known by his nom de guerre Aghbiur Serob or Serob Pasha born Serob Vardanian was a famed Armenian military commander who organized a guerrilla network that fought against the Ottoman Empire during the latter 19th century.- Life as a...
, Andranik had both intelligence and instinct. A born strategist, with a thorough knowledge of the mountains and valleys of the motherland, he was a unique and unparalleled leader and commander. He was audacious and courageous, also cautious and farsighted".
He was the commanding officer of the Armenian volunteer units, which helped the Van Resistance
Siege of Vān
The Siege of Vān occurred in 1547 when Suleiman the Magnificent attacked Persia in his second campaign of the Ottoman-Safavid War ....
take control of Van
Van, Turkey
Van is a city in southeastern Turkey and the seat of the Kurdish-majority Van Province, and is located on the eastern shore of Lake Van. The city's official population in 2010 was 367,419, but many estimates put this as much higher with a 1996 estimate stating 500,000 and former Mayor Burhan...
on May 6, 1915. He helped re-capture the city from Ottoman forces during the Battle of Van. He was also the commander of the battalion that took the city of Bitlis
Bitlis
Bitlis is a town in eastern Turkey and the capital of Bitlis Province. The town is located at an elevation of 1,400 metres, 15 km from Lake Van, in the steep-sided valley of the Bitlis River, a tributary of the Tigris. The local economy is mainly based on agricultural products which include...
(see: Battle of Bitlis
Battle of Bitlis
The Battle of Bitlis refers to a series of engagements in the summer of 1916 for the city of Bitlis and to a lesser extent nearby Muş, between the Russian Imperial forces and their Ottoman counterparts....
) from the Ottoman forces that was under control of Halil Pasha. Between March 1918 - April 1918, he was the governor of the Administration for Western Armenia
Administration for Western Armenia
The Administration for Western Armenia was an temporary Armenian provisional government between 1915 and 1918, with the autonomous region initially set up around Lake Van after the Siege of Van of the Caucasus Campaign, with the leadership of Aram Manukian of Armenian Revolutionary Federation. It...
(The Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
n provisional government
Provisional government
A provisional government is an emergency or interim government set up when a political void has been created by the collapse of a very large government. The early provisional governments were created to prepare for the return of royal rule...
of a progressive autonomous region that initially set up around Lake Van
Lake Van
Lake Van is the largest lake in Turkey, located in the far east of the country in Van district. It is a saline and soda lake, receiving water from numerous small streams that descend from the surrounding mountains. Lake Van is one of the world's largest endorheic lakes . The original outlet from...
).
His military leadership was instrumental in allowing the Armenian population of Van to escape the Ottoman Army and flee to Eastern Armenia
Eastern Armenia
Eastern Armenia or Caucasian Armenia was the portion of Ottoman Armenia and Persian Armenia that was ceded to the Russian Empire following the Russo-Turkish War, 1828-1829...
, then controlled by Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. The territory later became the Democratic Republic of Armenia
Democratic Republic of Armenia
The Democratic Republic of Armenia was the first modern establishment of an Armenian state...
.
According to the Literary Digest
Literary Digest
The Literary Digest was an influential general interest weekly magazine published by Funk & Wagnalls. Founded by Isaac Kaufmann Funk in 1890, it eventually merged with two similar weekly magazines, Public Opinion and Current Opinion.-History:...
,
"then Antranik did one of those things which so sharply differentiate him from a purely military chief. He gathered a great host of Armenian refugees about him - and anyone who passes through the Yerevan Republic today can see the horrors of Turkish wrought starvation from which he saved them - and trekked southward to the refuge of an impregnable mountain district. Accepting defeat, his one thought was for his people's safety."
After the formation of the Democratic Republic of Armenia
Democratic Republic of Armenia
The Democratic Republic of Armenia was the first modern establishment of an Armenian state...
(DRA), he organized and fought alongside volunteer units to combat the Ottoman army. Andranik was leading his army in combat against the Ottomans during the signing of the Treaty of Batum
Treaty of Batum
Treaty of Batum was signed in Batum between the Democratic Republic of Armenia and the Ottoman Empire on June 4 1918. It was the first treaty of the Democratic Republic of Armenia. It consisted of 14 articles...
, and refused to accept the borders stated by the treaty. As the commander of Armenian forces at Nakhitchevan, he "has protected in the name of the Armenian Army against the peace treaty with Turkey, and has declared that his army is determined to continue the war against Turks". His activities were concentrated at the link between the Ottoman Empire and the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic
Azerbaijan Democratic Republic
The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic was the first successful attempt to establish a democratic and secular republic in the Muslim world . The ADR was founded on May 28, 1918 after the collapse of the Russian Empire that began with the Russian Revolution of 1917 by Azerbaijani National Council in...
at Karabakh
Nagorno-Karabakh
Nagorno-Karabakh is a landlocked region in the South Caucasus, lying between Lower Karabakh and Zangezur and covering the southeastern range of the Lesser Caucasus mountains...
, Zanghezur
Syunik
Syunik is the southernmost province of Armenia. It borders the Vayots Dzor marz to the north, Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan exclave to the west, Karabakh to the east, and Iran to the south. Its capital is Kapan. Other important cities and towns include Goris, Sisian, Meghri, Agarak, and Dastakert...
and Nakhichevan
Nakhichevan
The Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic is a landlocked exclave of Azerbaijan. The region covers 5,363 km² and borders Armenia to the east and north, Iran to the south and west, and Turkey to the northwest...
. Ozanian struck back at the Ottoman Fronts, Army of Islam.
Andranik tried several times to seize Shusha
Shusha
Shusha , also known as Shushi is a town in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh in the South Caucasus. It has been under the control of the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh Republic since its capture in 1992 during the Nagorno-Karabakh War...
. Just before the Armistice of Mudros
Armistice of Mudros
The Armistice of Moudros , concluded on 30 October 1918, ended the hostilities in the Middle Eastern theatre between the Ottoman Empire and the Allies of World War I...
was signed, Andranik was on the way from Zangezur
Zangezur
Zangezur may refer to:* Syunik, alternative name of an Armenian geographic-historic region, nowadays one of the provinces of Armenia* Kapan, former name of a city in Armenia...
to Shusha
Shusha
Shusha , also known as Shushi is a town in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh in the South Caucasus. It has been under the control of the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh Republic since its capture in 1992 during the Nagorno-Karabakh War...
, to control the main city of Karabakh
Karabakh
The Karabakh horse , also known as Karabakh, is a mountain-steppe racing and riding horse. It is named after the geographic region where the horse was originally developed, Karabakh in the Southern Caucasus, an area that is de jure part of Azerbaijan but the highland part of which is currently...
. In January 1919 Armenian troops advancing, the British forces (General William M. Thomson) ordered Andranik back to Zangezur
Zangezur
Zangezur may refer to:* Syunik, alternative name of an Armenian geographic-historic region, nowadays one of the provinces of Armenia* Kapan, former name of a city in Armenia...
, and gave him assurances that a favorable treaty would be reached at the Paris Peace Conference, of 1919
Paris Peace Conference, 1919
The Paris Peace Conference was the meeting of the Allied victors following the end of World War I to set the peace terms for the defeated Central Powers following the armistices of 1918. It took place in Paris in 1919 and involved diplomats from more than 32 countries and nationalities...
.
Aftermath of World War I
In 1919 he left Armenia amid political turmoil and power struggles and went into exile in FresnoFresno
Fresno is the fifth largest city in California.Fresno may also refer to:-Places:Colombia* Fresno, TolimaSpain* Fresno, a ghost village in Nidáliga, Valle de Sedano, Burgos* Aldea del Fresno, Madrid* Fresno de la Vega, Ribera del Esla, León...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The New York Times reported, that among the passengers who arrived on November 22, 1919 from Havre on the French liner Savoie to ask US for a mandate "was General Ozanian Antranik, the hero of Armenia, who held out at Zangezour with a handful of troops against the Turkish Army until he was relieved on Dec. 13, 1918, by a British expeditionary force, more than a month after the armistice was signed, and saved 30,000 starving refugees". He was accompanied on the Savoie by General Jaques Bagratuni, Captain Haig Bonapartian, and Lieutenant Ter-Pogossian.
"When Antranik visited America, all the Armenians, from the Atlantic to the Pacific coast, gave him an enthusiastic reception. Americans were amazed and they asked: "Who is this man?". "He is the George Washington of Armenians", was the answer everywhere, and the Americans honored him by letting him sit on George Washington's chair, which was an unprecedented honor. In Paris the president of the French Republic, Poincaré' also paid him tribute by giving a reception in honor of him". Dr. Hermine Varjabedian
In 1920, the Literary Digest
Literary Digest
The Literary Digest was an influential general interest weekly magazine published by Funk & Wagnalls. Founded by Isaac Kaufmann Funk in 1890, it eventually merged with two similar weekly magazines, Public Opinion and Current Opinion.-History:...
described him as Armenia's "Robin Hood, Garibaldi, and Washington, all in one ..."
On December 7, 1919, a meeting in honor of the civil and military missions from Armenia took place at the New York Hippodrome
New York Hippodrome
The Hippodrome Theatre, also called the New York Hippodrome, was a theatre in New York City from 1905 to 1939, located on Sixth Avenue between 43rd and 44th Streets in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan. It was called the world's largest theatre by its builders and had a seating capacity of...
:
"The chief Armenian speaker was General Andranik, the national hero of Armenia, a veteran of thirty-six years of campaigning against the Turks, sometimes with the Bulgarians and Persians, and lately with his own people. General Andranik said that since the Armenians fought the Turks in the cause of civilization, it was the duty of civilization to recognize the independence for which they fought. Handclapping and cheering lasted several minutes, and the audience of more than 3,000 Armenians arose in tribute to him.
Formerly, said General Andranik, Armenia was divided among the Turks, Persians, and Russians. Now, he said, it was sought to add another part, Cilicia. He opposed a French mandate for Cilicia and amid applause, said history would record that after the great war all the powers except the United States forsook Armenia." New York Times
Andranik Ozanian lived in Fresno
Fresno
Fresno is the fifth largest city in California.Fresno may also refer to:-Places:Colombia* Fresno, TolimaSpain* Fresno, a ghost village in Nidáliga, Valle de Sedano, Burgos* Aldea del Fresno, Madrid* Fresno de la Vega, Ribera del Esla, León...
for 5 years until his death on August 31, 1927 at the age of 62. According to county records, he died at Richardson Springs, Chico
Chico, California
Chico is the most populous city in Butte County, California, United States. The population was 86,187 at the 2010 census, up from 59,954 at the time of the 2000 census...
, in Northern California
Northern California
Northern California is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The San Francisco Bay Area , and Sacramento as well as its metropolitan area are the main population centers...
. According to the New York Times, more than 2500 members of the Armenian community attended memorial services in Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
for General Andranik Ozanian.
Legacy
His remains were originally to be buried in ArmeniaArmenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
but Communist officials refused entry. His remains were then moved to the Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in 1928, and eventually returned to Armenia in 2000, where he was buried at the Yerablur
Yerablur
Yerablur is a military cemetery located on a hilltop in the outskirts of Yerevan, Armenia. Since 1988, Yerablur has become the home of the Armenian soldiers who have lost their lives during the Nagorno-Karabakh war...
military cemetery. In 1995 Zoravar Andranik's Museum was founded in the Komitas Park of Yerevan.
Statues
There are many statues of General Andranik not only in Armenia, but also in other countries such as France, Bulgaria, Romania, Argentina.The oldest staue of General Andranik was erected in 1945 for his grave in Père Lachaise Cemetery
Père Lachaise Cemetery
Père Lachaise Cemetery is the largest cemetery in the city of Paris, France , though there are larger cemeteries in the city's suburbs.Père Lachaise is in the 20th arrondissement, and is reputed to be the world's most-visited cemetery, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors annually to the...
.
First statue of Andranik was put in 1967 in Ujan
Ujan
Ujan is a town in the Aragatsotn Province of Armenia. Ujan contains a large statue of General Andranik, an Armenian national hero.- References :** – World-Gazetteer.com**Kiesling, Rediscoving Armenia, p. 17, available online at the...
village near Ashtarak
Ashtarak
Ashtarak is an industrial city in Armenia, on the left bank of Kasagh River along the gorge, approximately 20 km north-west of the capital Yerevan, at a height of 1110 meters above sea level. It is the administrative capital of Aragatsotn province...
, where many survivors
Armenian Genocide survivors
The Armenian Genocide survivors are the Western Armenians who were not killed in the Genocide of 1915. The total number of Armenians who survived the Genocide is 880,000. Most of the Genocide survivors became refugees and migrated to other countires...
of the Armenian Genocide
Armenian Genocide
The Armenian Genocide—also known as the Armenian Holocaust, the Armenian Massacres and, by Armenians, as the Great Crime—refers to the deliberate and systematic destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during and just after World War I...
had settled in 1910s-1920s.
There are 6 statues of General Andranik in Armenia - 2 in Yerevan
Yerevan
Yerevan is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously-inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural, and industrial center of the country...
(large equestrian statue near the Saint Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral
Saint Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral, Yerevan
Saint Gregory the Ilumminator Cathedral is the largest Armenian church in the world and is located in the Kentron District of Yerevan in Armenia. It is adjacent to the Zoravar Andranik metro station...
and near the Holy Trinity Church in Malatia-Sebastia district) and 4 outside of Yerevan: Gyumri
Gyumri
Gyumri is the capital and largest city of the Shirak Province in northwest Armenia. It is located about 120 km from the capital Yerevan, and, with a population of 168,918 , is the second-largest city in Armenia.The name of the city has been changed many times in history...
, Navur
Navur
Navur is a village located in the Tavush Province of Armenia.- References :* – World-Gazetteer.com...
, Ujan
Ujan
Ujan is a town in the Aragatsotn Province of Armenia. Ujan contains a large statue of General Andranik, an Armenian national hero.- References :** – World-Gazetteer.com**Kiesling, Rediscoving Armenia, p. 17, available online at the...
and Voskevan
Voskevan
Voskevan is a town in the Tavush Province of Armenia.- References :* – World-Gazetteer.com...
.
General Andranik is greatly admired in Bulgaria. He fought for the Bulgarian Army dring the Balkan Wars
Balkan Wars
The Balkan Wars were two conflicts that took place in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe in 1912 and 1913.By the early 20th century, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia, the countries of the Balkan League, had achieved their independence from the Ottoman Empire, but large parts of their ethnic...
in 1912-1913. There are two statues of him in Bulgaria: in Varna (erected in 2011) and Sofia.
There are also statues of General Andranik in Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
(Romania) and Buenos-Aires (Argentina).
Documentary films
- General Andranik (Zoravar Andranik), 1989, 18min. 35 mm.Director Levon MkrtchyanLevon MkrtchyanMovie director Levon Mkrtchyan , is an Armenian director known for his documentaries, "Davit Anhaght," "Charentz: Known and Unknown Sides", "Jean Garzu", "Mesrop Mashtots", "My Komitas", "And There Was Light", "The Manuscript of Independence" which was dedicated to the 10th anniversary of...
.