| Armenian volunteer units | |
|---|---|
Armenian volunteers |
|
| Active | 1914-1917 |
| Country | Russia |
| Allegiance | Armenian people |
| Role | Detachment |
| Size | 150,000[1] |
| Commanders | |
| Establishment | Hakob Zavriev |
| Notable commanders |
(Russian Army) Andranik Toros Ozanian |
Armenian volunteer units, also known the Armenian volunteer corps[2] 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 were formed from the Armenians escaped from the Ottomans. The Ottoman Parliamentary representative Garegin Pastermadjian commanded one battalion. The General Andranik Toros Ozanian was the commander of the Russian volunteer units between 1914 and 1916. Beginning with 1917, Armenian National Organization of the Caucasus, Armenian National Council, asked the Armenian soldiers and officers scattered throughout regions to gradually brought together to establish the armed forces of Democratic Republic of Armenia.[3]
Armenian volunteers, during this period, were also established French Armenian Legion under the French army and Armenian militia which were irregular forces of the Armenian national movement famously under the Armenian Revolutionary Federation.
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The Russian mobilization of 1914 took place just before the Russia entered World War I. Armenians, who were obligated to serve, became part of the regular Tsarist armed forces. In 1914 the Armenian reservists were about 160,000 in number, which gladly responded to the Russian call, for the simple reason that they were to fight the arch enemy of their historic race[4]. The administration of the Russian Armenia was concerned with the Armenians and before the commencement of the Caucasus Campaign the majority of Armenian conscripts were transferred to the German front. Armenian conscripts that were transferred to other fronts replaced with Russian Caucasus Army. Armenian conscripts during the initial years of the war helped to establish the European theatre of World War I.
The establishment of Armenian volunteer units in the Russian army dates back to the summer of 1914. Count Illarion Ivanovich Vorontsov-Dashkov consulted with the Mayor of Tbilisi Alexandre Khatsian, the primate of Tbilisi, Bishop Mesrop, and the prominent civic leader Dr. Hakob Zavriev about the creation of Armenian volunteer detachments.[5]. These units would be employed for the Caucasian Front (WWI).
As the Armenian reservists 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. Many of them who were living in Caucuses and many of them were impatient to take arms to liberate their homeland.[5] In several towns occupied by the Russians the Armenian students have shown themselves ready to join the Russian volunteer army.[6]. Besides the regular soldiers of the Russian Caucasus Army, nearly 20,000 Armenian volunteers expressed their readiness to take up arms against the Ottoman Empire as early as 1914. The size of these units increased during the war and Boghos Nubar gave the summary of these units in a public latter to the Paris Peace Conference, 1919 as 150,000 Armenians in the volunteer units and 50,000 Armenian militia.[7]
The acting commander Andranik Toros Ozanian under Viceroyalty of the Caucasus Illarion Ivanovich Vorontsov-Dashkov.
Andranik's detachment was assigned to Persian Campaign along the Tovmas Nazarbekian. The second, third and fourth units were assigned to Caucasus Campaign. Drastamat Kanayan and Armen Garo directed the 2nd battalion over the offensives around Lake Van, (Vaspurakan). The 3rd & 4th battalion commanded by Hamazaps and Keri were assigned to the positions along the Kars Oblast. Enver Pasha's offensive, the Battle of Sarikamish, was planned with great care, and had a great chance of success if all three wings of the Third Army could reach their objectives on time. The Ottoman tenth army corps, during its march from Olti to Sarikamish, suffered a delay of 24 hours in the Barduz Pass, due to the heroic resistance of the "4th battalion of the Armenian volunteers"[8]. This delay enabled the Russian Caucasus Army to concentrate a sufficient force around Sarikamish, resulting in the destruction of the Ottoman Third Army.[9]
The acting commander Andranik Toros Ozanian under Viceroyalty of the Caucasus Nicholas Nikolaevich.
During the Siege of Van Armenian detechments provided relief, there were 20,000 Armenian Volunteers[10] under the unit that entered Van on May 16, 1915 which these Armenian battalions led Russian regulars into Van.[11][12] Later same place on 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.[13]
The volunteer detachment contingents, fighting under Armenian commanders, were observed into Russian Caucasian Army as rifle battalions under Russian officers.[13]
As the war advanced, the Armenian reservists of the Eastern Front slowly quit from the Tsarist army and join to the Armenian national forces.[13] Around 1916, more than 1,000 Armenian soldiers quit from Tsarist army and joint to the Armenian irregular units (Fedayee).[13] In 1917, the Russian Caucasus Front collapsed following the abdication of the Tsar. Beginning with 1917, Armenian National Organization of the Caucasus, Armenian National Council, asked the Armenian soldiers and officers scattered throughout Russian occupied regions to gradually brought together.[3] The plan was to mobilized Armenians on the Caucasian front.[3] With that purpose in view an Armenian Military Committee was formed with General Bagradouni as it's president.[3] This Armenian conscripts and volunteers in the Russian Army later established the Army Core of the Democratic Republic of Armenia.
There were 8,000 Armenian soldiers fighting under the command of General Allenby's Egyptian Expeditionary Force. General Allenby said of Armenian soldiers were:
| “ | I'm proud to have Armenians under my command. They fought brilliantly and took the leading part in the victory of the Megiddo.[14] | ” |