ARMENIAN VOLUNTEER UNITS

'Armenian volunteer units' were Armenian battalions in Russian and British armies during the World War I. The Armenian force during this period also included French Armenian Legion which was established under the French army and Armenian militia (mainly under the control Armenian Revolutionary Federation), which was not linked to any major field army. Majority of the Armenian units support the military activities at Middle Eastern theatre of World War I. Most famous commander alongside the Russian army units was Andranik Toros Ozanian who became the commander of volunteer units.
There where also Yezidi-Kurdish volunteer groups that fought together with General Andranik Ozanian and the Artsakh movement who fought for Vaiq, Goris, Ijevan and Yeraskhavan but also in the battles at Bash-Aparan.
The origin of these military units were varied. There were many Armenian units which were escaped from Ottomans, such as former Ottoman Parliamentary representatives Garegin Pastermadjian (Erzurum) and Hampardzum Boyadjian.

Contents

Under Russian Army

British Army

Democratic Republic of Armenia

See also

Notes

Under Russian Army

With the onset of WWI, Armenians of the Russia who were obligated to serve became part of the regular armed forces and helped to establish the Eastern Front. In the summer of 1914, Vorontsov Daskov consulted with Tiflis mayor Aexndre Khatsian, the primate of Tiflis, Biship Mesrop, and prominent civic figure Dr. Hakob Zavriev about creating Armenian volunteer detachments.^[2] As the Armenians in Russia had already been drafted into the regular armed forces and sent to European theatre of World War I, the volunteer units would make up of Armenians who were not citizens of the empire or not obligated to serve. These units would be employed for the Caucasus Campaign. Many of them who were living in Caucuses and many of them were impatient to take arms to liberate their homeland.^[2]
Boghos Nubar gave the summary in a public latter to acceptance in Paris Peace Conference, 1919 as 150,000 Armenians in the volunteer units and 50,000 Armenian militia.^[4] The other sources regarding military movements that can be useful are; around 1916, more than 1,000 Armenian soldiers quit from Tsarist army and joint to Armenian irregular units (Armenian militia) which most of them will be united one more time under Democratic Republic of Armenia.^[5] There were 20,000 Armenian Volunteers^[6] under the unit that enetered Van on May 16 1915 which these Armenian battalions led Russian regulars into Van.^[7][8] By October 15, under heavy fight around the region Lake Van, these battalions had lost five hundred (Armenian soldiers) and there were more than twelve hundred wounded or missing.^[9] In 1918, major general Andranik, was controlling soldiers from the old Russian army (note: 1918 old Tsarist army was dissolved; referring to Armenians whose origin was Russian), and 150,000 Armenians who had volunteered from all over the world.

British Army

There were 8,000 Armenian soldiers fighting under the command of General Allenby's Egyptian Expeditionary Force. General Allenby said of Armenian soldiers were:

Democratic Republic of Armenia

Armenian volunteer units became the military units under Democratic Republic of Armenia. Andranik was the commander in chief of these units used which were also used in the liberation of Administration for Western Armenia.

See also

★ French Armenian Legion

★ Armenian militia

★ Garegin Njdeh

★ Andranik Toros Ozanian

★ Movses Silikyan

★ Karekin Pasdermadjian

Notes

1. By Joan George "Merchants in Exile: The Armenians of Manchester, England, 1835-1935" page 184 (Summary of the Armenian contribution to the allied war effort)
2. Hovannisian “The Armenian People from Ancient to Modern Times “ p 280
3. Hovannisian “The Armenian People from Ancient to Modern Times “ p 280
4. By Joan George "Merchants in Exile: The Armenians of Manchester, England, 1835-1935" page 184
5. Like One Family: The Armenians of Syracuse by Arpena S. Mesrobian
6. July, 1915 Letter from Mr. E. Vartanian, an Armenian-American Volunteer in the Russian Service, to His Brother-in-law in Egypt; Dated 9th /22nd July, 1915, and Published in the Armenian Journal "Houssaper," of Cairo.
7. Richard G Hovannisian, 'Armenians' road to Independence' in The Armenian People from Ancient to Modern Times: Foreign Dominion to Statehood
8. [Sv. 2000: T. 30, pp. 101-102]: "On the 6th of May the Armenian flag waved over the citadel of Van. The Vaspourakanis welcomed with great love the Russian soldiers and the Armenian volunteers under the leadership of General Andranik Ozanian."
9. Like One Family: The Armenians of Syracuse by Arpena S. Mesrobian p53