| Karekin Pastermajian | |
|---|---|
| Democratic Republic of Armenia Ambassador to USA | |
| Member of Parliament for Ottoman Meclis-i Mebusan |
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| In office 1908–1912 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | February 9, 1872 Erzurum, Erzurum Vilayet, Ottoman Empire |
| Died | March 23, 1923 USA |
| Political party | Armenian Revolutionary Federation |
| Military service | |
| Nickname(s) | Armen Garo / Armen Karo |
| Allegiance | Armenia |
| Years of service | 1914-1916 |
| Commands | 2nd battalion of Armenian volunteer units |
| Revolutionary Activities | Armenian-Tatar massacres; Ottoman Bank Takeover |
Karekin Pastermadjian (or Garegin Pastermadjian) (Armenian: Գարեգին Փաստրմաճեան), more famously known by his nom de guerre Armen Garo / Armen Karo, was one of the distinguished leaders of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation and an ambassador. He was the son of famous Armenian Haroutiun Pasdermadjian and the grandson of Khatchatour Efendi. He is also the namesake of the Armen Karo Student Association in Canada, which was founded in 2005.
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Karekin Pastermadjian was born in Karin (present day Erzurum Province). He finished his elementary education as one of the first graduates of the Sanasarian College of Erzeroum (Sanasarian Varjaran Academy) in 1891. Later in 1894, he continued his studies in France to study agriculture at the Agricultural School of Nancy-Université. During this period he was introduced to Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF). He become younger generation of Armenian students of ARF in Europe.
His plans to return to his hometown after graduating came to a halt when massacres and conflict began in Zeitun. He left hist studies to aid his compatriots in Zeitun. He soon found himself in Geneva where he became an activist alongside his friends. He was sent to Egypt to assist the Zeitun Resistance. With Sarkis Srentz, Haik Thirakian (who assumed the name Hratch), Max Zevrouz, he left Egypt and returned to the Ottoman Empire to participate the efforts of the ARF. It was around this time that Karekin Pastermadjian first assumed the name Armen Karo.
The 1896 Ottoman Bank Takeover of the Ottoman Bank was his and Papken Siuni's brain child. The day of the battle at Bank Ottoman was August 14, 1896. The attack took place at about 1:00 P.M. Armen Karo entered 10 minutes prior to the attack. He was to keep the teller busy and the bank officers from escaping. His men didn't arrive quickly so he went to a coffee shop across the street. When he saw the men through the doorway, he ran out to meet them. The battle was long and bloody where leader Papken Siuni was killed. Armen Karo took over as leader, ordering his group for much of the standoff.
After these events Karekin Bastermadjian returned to Europe to continue his unfinished studies. Mr. Hanoteau, however, the French foreign minister at that time declared the Armenians who had been connected with Ottoman Bank Takeover as persona non grata and denied their stay in France, so he transferred to Switzerland and studied the natural sciences at the University of Geneva.
He studied as he participated in activities with the Armenian Revolutionary Federation. When the second general conference was convened in 1898, he was on the delegate roster representing the ARF committee in Egypt. Despite his youth, he had gained confidence and authority in the leading circles of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation. In 1900 he completed his courseս and received the degree of Doctor of Science. After graduating from the University of Geneva with a doctoral degree in physical chemistry, he founded a lab in Tiflis for chemical research in 1901.
During Armenian-Tatar massacres in 1905-1906 the ARF was involved in armed activities.[1] Pastermadjian organized the self-defense of the Armenians in Tiflis. He and five hundred volunteers succeeded in securing peace in the capital of Transcaucasia.
The situation in the Caucasus was almost come to normal. Pastermadjian had been able to create for himself a life fairly prosperous financially. He secured the right to develop a copper mine, and working towards a partnership with a large company. His business required that he should stay in the Caucasus to continue his successful enterprise. Young Turk Revolution came in 1908.
The Armenians in Erzeroum, as well as the ARF, telegraphed to Bastermadjian and asked him to become their candidate in the coming elections for Representative to the Ottoman Parliament. He become the member to Ottoman parliament part from the Armenian Revolutionary Federation deputies.
After the end of the Balkan Wars, issues affecting the Armenians dominated mainstream politics during which Armen Karo was a deputy from Erzurum. During his four years in Constantinople (Istanbul) as a deputy, he worked for the railroad bill which was known to the public as Chester's bill. Its main object was to build railroads as soon as possible in those vilayets which were considered to be Russia's future possessions. For that reason neither France nor Germany wished to undertake it, lest they should arouse the enmity of Russia. Another fundamental object was to build those lines with American capital, which would make it possible to counteract the Russo-Franco-German policies and financial intrigues. But in spite of all efforts unable to overcome the German, opposition in Constantinople, although, as the outcome of the struggle in connection with that bill, two ministers of public works were forced to resign their post.
Talaat on behalf of the "Committee of Union and Progress," offered the portfolio of public works, refused these proposals, for the simple reason that he did not wish to compromise in any way with the leaders of the government.
He had taken too active a part in 1913 in the conferences held for the consideration of the Armenian reforms, and especially because, while parliamentary elections were going on during April, 1914, he was in Paris and Holland, as the delegate of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, to meet the inspectors general who were invited to carry out the reforms.
In the autumn of 1914, a month and a half before the beginning hostilities, he went to the Caucasus on a special mission given after the Armenian congress at Erzurum, and joined the committee which had been appointed by the Armenian National Council of the Caucasus to organize the Armenian volunteer units.
In November of 1914, he accompanied the second battalion of the Armenian volunteers. As the representative of the executive committee of Tiflis, to prepare the local inhabitants, as the Russian army was about to advance into the captured territories of that country.
On November 14, at the Bergmann Offensive, the second battalion of the Armenian volunteers engaged in battle for the first time, near Bayazid. In the course of a bloody combat which lasted twenty-four hours, Dro, the brave commander of the battalion, was seriously wounded, and he was forced immediately to take his place. From that day to March of the following year, he remained at the head of that battalion, and led it into eleven battles in the neighborhood of Alashkert, Toutakh, and Malashkert, until Dro recovered and returned to resume the command.
In the summer of 1915, He went to Van during the Van Resistance. Khetcho (Catchik) (b.? - d. July 1915) was his assistant. He died on the shores of Lake Van following the greatin July, 1915.
In the spring of 1917, when the Russian Revolution turned the Caucasus up-side down, He and Dr. Hakob Zavriev, was sent from the Caucasus to Petrograd to negotiate with the temporary Russian government concerning Caucasian affairs.
He left for America. in June of the 1917 as the representative of the Armenian National Council of Tiflis. As the special Envoy of His Holiness the Catholicos of all the Armenians,
He was elected to be ambassador of the Democratic Republic of Armenia to the United States in Washington, D.C.
When the 1915 Armenian Genocide broke out, Armen Karo became very depressed and sick. When Armenia lost its independence, his sickness grew worse. He died of heart disease in Geneva, Switzerland on March 23, 1923, where he was attending a conference on Russia.[2]
He is regarded as a national hero by Armenians, especially ARF supporters due to his numerous efforts in helping his people.
There are several organizations with chapters named after the Armenian hero, including the Armenian Youth Federation "Armen Garo" Chapter of Racine, Wisconsin, and the "Armen Karo" Armenian Revolutionary Federation Student Association of Canada.
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