Ruben Ter-Minasian

Ruben Ter Minassian (Armenian: Ռուբեն Տեր Մինասյան (1882–1951) was born in 1882 in Akhalkalak to Armenian parents who had migrated from Erzerum. Higher education at Gevorgian seminary, Echmiadzin and Lazarian Institute, Moscow. Returned to the Caucasus in 1903. He was an Armenian Revolutionary and later, a politician. He was a member of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) being a very active member politics and revolution for the liberation of Armenia, or known as Armenian national liberation movement.

Early life

As a leader of the Armenian fighting units in Sasun, the fedayeen, he established relations with the Kurds, and negotiated with their numerous tribal chieftains. Ter Minasian was destined to become a prominent figure in the Armenian National Movement. Active as a fighter until the proclamation of the Ottoman constitution in 1908. He moved to Geneva until in 1913.

World War I

He returned to Ottoman Empire in 1914 to be general director of all Armenian schools in Moush region. Prepared Armenians for self-defense after Ottoman Empire entered the first world war. Ruben Ter Minassian played a key role in the revolution movement of Kars, Van and other places, where there was happening Genocide by the Ottoman Empire during World War I. Resisted the Ottoman troops for several months in 1915, breaking through a circle of them. In 1915, he led the defense of the Armenians of Sassun against the Third Army. He was a member of the Armenian National Council in 1917. An adviser to the Transcaucasian Sejm delegation in the Trebizond negotiations with the Ottoman Empire in March 1918.

Democratic Republic of Armenia

Ter Minasian played a key role in the formation of the Democratic Republic of Armenia along with Aram Manukian, Simon Vratsian, Hamo Ohanjanyan and others. Later he was a member in the Armenian Parliament serving as Defense Minister of Armenia and political activist. He was one of the individuals served as Ministers of Interior in the period May 1920 – September 1920.

After the Sovietization of Armenian Republic, Ter Minasian moved to Paris, France working as an Armenian intellectual and politician being a member of the ARF Bureau. He later toured in Middle East and Egypt to spread the ARF Ideology in order to become a worldwide known Armenian political party. After all that political activism he wanted a rest, and in 1948 he finally settled in Paris, France. After living in Paris 3 years he died in November 1951. His body was buried in Pere Lachaise cemetery, on November 30, 1951 under number 13874.

Publications

Ter Minassian planned to write his memoirs and produced almost 7 books in which he tells of his experiences as a politician and of his life in Old Armenia.