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| Armenian Republic (1918) | |
|---|---|
| Conventional long name | First Republic of Armenia |
| Common name | Armenia (1918–1920) |
| Era | Interwar period |
| Status | Nation-state |
| Government type | Republic |
| Event start | Declaration of Independence |
| Date start | 28 May 1918 |
| Event end | Sovietization |
| Date end | 29 November 1920 |
| Capital | Yerevan |
| Common languages | Armenian language |
| Currency | Armenian dram (provisional) |
Armenian Republic (1918) The Armenian Republic declared independence on 28 May 1918 amid the collapse of the Russian Empire, the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in World War I, and the aftermath of the Russian Revolution of 1917. The republic navigated complex relations with neighboring states such as Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Turkey while contending with internal pressures from political parties like the Armenian Revolutionary Federation and external actors including the Allied Powers (World War I) and the Russian SFSR. Its brief existence left lasting effects on diaspora communities linked to events like the Armenian Genocide and diplomatic outcomes such as the Treaty of Sèvres.
The formation followed military and political collapses during World War I involving the Ottoman Empire, the Central Powers, and the disintegration of Tsarist Russia. After the February Revolution (Russia) and the October Revolution (1917), Armenian political leaders from provinces like Erivan Governorate convened with representatives of parties including the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, the Armenakan Party, and the Social Democrat Hunchakian Party to address territorial claims in regions such as Zangezur, Nakhchivan, and Kars Oblast. The provisional authority of the Transcaucasian Commissariat gave way to the short-lived Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic, and subsequent treaties like the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk and the armistice events with the Ottoman Third Army altered frontiers, prompting declaration of independence in Yerevan.
Political life centered on the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, which dominated the National Council and successive cabinets led by figures such as Hovhannes Kajaznuni, Alexander Khatisian, and Simon Vratsian. Institutions incorporated ministries modelled after European states with ministers handling portfolios connected to ministries from Russian Provisional Government precedents. The republic negotiated administrative control over provinces like Ararat Province (historic), sought judicial frameworks influenced by Ottoman law reforms, and faced political opposition from local notables and parties including the Hunchakian Party. National symbols and cultural institutions—drawing on heritage from Bagratid Armenia, Armenian Apostolic Church, and figures like Mesrop Mashtots—were promoted alongside initiatives to integrate survivors of the Armenian Genocide.
Armed defense relied on units formed from veterans of the Caucasus Campaign of World War I, militias organized by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, and officers previously serving in the Imperial Russian Army. Commanders such as Andranik Ozanian and Drastamat Kanayan participated in battles around Sardarapat, Abaran, and Gharakilisa, which helped halt Ottoman advances in May 1918. The republic engaged in border clashes with Azerbaijan Democratic Republic and Democratic Republic of Georgia over contested areas like Nakhchivan, Nagorno-Karabakh, and Kars, while later campaigns involved interventions by the British Empire and confrontations with Soviet Russia and the Red Army leading up to the 1920 Sovietization.
The population included survivors from the Armenian Genocide, refugees from Western Armenia, and indigenous populations in the Erivan Governorate. Urban centers such as Yerevan, Alexandropol, and Kars became focal points for relief coordinated with organizations like the Near East Relief and the American Committee for Relief in the Near East. Economic activity was hampered by war, blockades, and territorial disputes affecting agriculture in Ararat plain and artisanal production in historic towns like Etchmiadzin and Van. Demographic shifts involved interactions with Assyrians, Kurds, and Azerbaijanis as well as institutions such as the Armenian Apostolic Church and educational initiatives modeled after Mkhitarist schools and the legacy of scholars like Komitas Vardapet.
Diplomatic efforts reached out to the Allied Powers (World War I), the United States, and regional actors. Delegations to conferences such as the Paris Peace Conference, 1919 lobbied for border guarantees under treaties like the Treaty of Sèvres, while dealing with competing claims advanced by Turkey National Movement under Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and Soviet agendas led by figures such as Vladimir Lenin and Joseph Stalin. Missions in capitals including London, Paris, Rome, and Washington, D.C. sought recognition and assistance; humanitarian diplomacy involved organizations like the Red Cross and the League of Nations later addressing refugee crises. Recognition varied: some states engaged de facto representation while geopolitical shifts and the aftermath of treaties including Treaty of Kars influenced final settlement.
The Sovietization in late 1920 followed military pressure from the Red Army and political maneuvers by the Communist Party of Armenia, concluding with incorporation into the Transcaucasian SFSR and later the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic. Consequences included population movements that fed diasporas in cities like Paris, New York City, Beirut, and Tbilisi, and cultural memory preserved through institutions such as the Matenadaran and commemorations of battles like Battle of Sardarabad. The republican period influenced later developments in modern Armenia politics, historiography engaging scholars from Oxford University, Harvard University, and Yerevan State University, and legal debates about borders referenced in documents like the Treaty of Alexandropol and archival collections held by the British Museum and Armenian National Archive.