Author: Piling » Fri Feb 17, 2006 5:29 pm
From 2nd to 14th August 1914, the Dashnak hold its 8th Congress in Erzurum. The Dashnak was critic toward the nationalism extremism of the Ittihad but wanted to help the Turkish government to avoid the war. At this time, Armenians were conscious that their situation of a divided nation between 2 borders will put them in a difficult dilemna : being considered as traitors or fight against their own compatriots linving in Russiam empire.
Young Turks wanted to organize an insurrection of Armnians, Georgians and Tatars within Tussian Empire to help the success of their army. They asked to the Dashnak to organize revolts in Russian Armenia. They offered in exhange to give them a authonomous territory (under Turkish control) after the war, including districts of Erivan, Kars, Elizabetpol and some sanjaks like Van Bitlis, Erzurum.
Dashnka and these leaders refused and affirmed their position : they support a policy of neutrality for Turkey in the war. If Young Turks involved the country in the conflict, then they would be faithful , defend Turkey with loyalty. (They have fought already during the Balkanic war).
But Young Turks were not satisfied and threatened.
On October 23th 1914, the Dashnak of Istanbul sent a general statement to Armenian province asking to the population to serve the country and defend it if war happen, and engage themselves in army. The Armenian Patriarch did the same thing.
When Tyrkey entered in war, Armenian churches celebrated religious offices to wish the victory of Turkey.
But Talaat Pasha wanted an Islamic country. In November 11th 1914, he made a statement telling that the war will allow to liberate the Muslim world from non-muslims, and in November 23th Islamic authorities stated it was a Jihad, and called to massacre Christians everywhere (but non Turkish muslims did not obeyed, Arabs hated Ottomans).
The Dashnak stated loyal to Ottoman until April 1915. When Turksih troops arrived in Armenia, they looted, stole, and killed a bit the population as if they occupied the country. Then Armenians' feeling began to change.
In January 1915, the Turkish government ordered that all Armenians soldiers and officers should let their arms. And then, they could plannify the massacres.
Why a such decision ? Talaat Pasha's idelogy was nationalist and religous : A Turkish muslim state was probably his aim. In general, historians considered that in February 1915, the decision of genocide had been taken.
It is difficult to know the exact number of victims because of the lack of real census. But all serious historians thoukght that the number of Armenian victims could be account as several hundred thousands of vicitms, as the number of muslim victims from Armenians could not be more than several thousands of victims.
I just resume shortly long passages and chronology, but if you read any kind of sources (not Turkish ok) about the Congress of Dashnak you would have the same facts, this Congress was not secret and correspondance and official statements of this period could be easily verified.
