(ALLIES AND ARMENIANS) Tall Armenian Tale: The Other Side of the Falsified Genocide

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It is unfathomable that pro-genocide forces still insist today there was no Armenian rebellion, even though Armenian leaders of the period are on record attesting to their treachery... as most of these Armenians originated from the Ottoman Empire, at one time or another. Even in lands where they had established "colonies," they were still regarded as "Turkish Armenians," as the New York Times article, "The Black Company," made clear. In other words, the Armenians still keep insisting the Armenians in the Ottoman Empire were all lambs led to the slaughter, when even their own historians' evidence exposes them.

Here is an Armenian source, giving us further illumination of the poor, innocent Armenians serving — in Boghos Nubar's words — as "belligerents de facto." Let's now hear from Vazkene Aykouni, in beginning excerpts of his fifth chapter entitled, "A Brief Sketch of Armenian History," as appearing in Armenian Affairs Magazine, circa 1950

After the article will be a presentation of official communications from foreign diplomats outlining the Armenians' treachery.

A Brief Sketch of Armenian History
Mainly from French Studies (as translated by Edward Nadir)

By VAZKENE AYKOUNI

V. ON THE SIDE OF THE ALLIES

From the beginning of the war Armenian volunteers were organized into legions in the Caucasus, in Russian Armenia, with Andranik, the famous revolutionary partisan Armenian leader, and other generals in command. According to official statistics, thirteen per cent of the entire Armenian population participated in active warfare, on various fronts, on the side of the Allies. The total number of Armenians fighting with the Russians exceeded 250,000 men.

"There are so many students, both males and females," wrote the Gazette de La Bourse, "who run away from home to join the groups of Armenian volunteers that it is assuming the proportions of an epidemic. Recently, seven students of the senior class of a school of commerce in Alexandropol ran away to go to the front. One of them, a fifteen-year-old boy, who had been forced to return, complained with tears in his eyes that he had not been accepted, and added that he would go back regardless, and if rejected again would commit suicide. . . . In the Armenian Seminary of Echmiadzin not a single day passed without noticeable absences; as soon as war was declared, all the students of the seventh grade enlisted in Andranik’s volunteer corps . . . Armenian women also did not remain inactive. 'Linen Week,' at Kars and Alexandropol, sufficiently proves to what extent they are capable of aid. In Kars alone, a town of 20,000, two railroad cars filled with linen, tobacco and furs had been collected, and even gold jewelry, which the women generously contributed with tears in their beautiful eyes. . . . A poor old Armenian woman who, in my presence, heard of the heroic death of her only son, struck her belly and shouted ‘may it be cursed for being no longer capable of bearing children for our glorious army!' "

Armenians also fought on other fronts. When at the end of 1918 the Legion d’Orient, created in November 1916 in Cyprus by Colonel Romieu, was divided into the Armenian Legion and the Syrian Legion, the former included, said Gustave Gautherot, "four Armenian battallions [sic], a platoon of 37’s and a company of engineers in formation: that is, fifty officers and 3,660 men (of which 288 were French). There were also eight officers and seven hundred men in the Cyprus base, and, in the Twenty-first and Twenty-third Syrian Company assigned to remain in Syria, five officers and 546 men.

On 11 December 1918, a French battalion formed of 400 Armenians entered Dörtyol. . . . On December 17, 1918 a French unit led by Lieutenant Colonel Romieu landed in Mersin. In the 1,500-man unit there were only 150 French soldiers. The others were Armenian legions.

Kamuran Gurun, The Armenian File

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"...[I]n November, 1916, a new outlet for the revenge-hungry Armenians was provided by the French government. Negotiations of Boghos Nubar with French political and military authorities culminated in the formation of the Légion d’Orient, an auxiliary force made up of Armenians and Syrians of Ottoman origin. Ninety-five percent Armenian in composition, the Légion included refugees, former prisoners of war, and permanent residents of Egypt, America, and Europe. Under the command of General Edmund Allenby, the Légion, fighting in Palestine, Syria, and finally Cilicia, won the plaudits of Clemenceau’s government and its Entente allies."

Richard G. Hovannisian, Armenia on the Road to Independence,' 1967 (see last link under "Pp. 67-68," for more.)

Armenian soldiers from the USA arriving at Port Said

Armenians from the USA arriving at Port Said, probably by the end of
1917, wearing the khaki uniform of the French Foreign Legion. One source
says 2,000 came via the USA. Perhaps 4,000 of the Musa Dagh fighters
also were transported by the French to Port Said.

Seven hundred and fifty Armenian volunteers—former prisoners of the Turks, expatriates, emaciated—arrived in Beirut on October 31, in the most miserable condition and had themselves constituted into the Tenth Company. . . . These were joined by eighty-six new volunteers recruited (December 2) in Damascus and were in the same sorry state. The surplus men of the Tenth Company were to form with the seven hundred, also untrained, of the Cyprus base, the Eleventh, Twelfth and Thirteenth Companies. Thus a new battalion would be constituted."[12] The Fourth Battalion later took over the Twenty-first Armenian Company of Castellorizo.

"Indeed, the Armenian of the Legion," continued Mr. Gautherot, "possessed outstanding qualities for a soldier. Intelligent, educated, often having had a substantial position in civilian life, he showed remarkable capacities for rapid training; fond of handling arms and of military drill, he was proud of his uniform."[13]

The October 10, 1918 communiqué published in the Temps was, moreover, full of praise for the Armenian soldiers, "who were taking an active part in the liberation of Syrian territories," and who had "shown the best military qualities and the highest courage."

Allenby with Iraq's King
Faisal in 1920

This is the telegram sent by General E. Allenby to the Armenian National Delegation, October 12, 1918: "I am proud to have an Armenian contingent under my command. They have fought brilliantly and contributed largely to our victory."

Thousands of Armenians also volunteered for service in the armies of their adopted countries—in France, in America, in England, and served the Allied cause wholeheartedly and unselfishly.

However, Armenian blood was not shed only on the battlefield. Full mobilization having been decreed over the whole Ottoman empire, it affected all the subjects without any distinction of race or creed. Had not the Sultan already signed for the "reforms," and had he not solemnly pledged to apply them without delay?

So Armenians in Turkey, in the military-age group, as their compatriots elsewhere, donned army and work battalion uniforms. But they were never armed. In Turkey, unlike elsewhere, they were doomed without a chance: "by the hundreds, by the thousands, these poor men were sent to deserted spots and shot. Those who are spared are subjected to hard labor, and one by one fall dead."[14]

^12. La France en Sync et en Cilicie, pp. 138-139.
^13. Ibid., p. 135.
^14. René Pinon, La Suppression des Arméniens, p. 29.

Comments

As with all pro-Armenian history, one must take a fine-toothed comb and go through the sludge in order to pick the nuggets of true historical value. It's despicable what this so-called historian claims in the latter two paragraphs. Of course the Armenians were armed. Enver Pasha was counting heavily on 50,000 Ottoman-Armenians in the life-or-death struggle that was to follow for the nation's existence, where every able-bodied man was needed to ward off the mighty world powers threatening all fronts. (That is what Aykouni was getting at when he wrote full mobilization affected everyone "without any distinction of race or creed.")

...[T]he general Congress of Dashnakstsutiun, sitting in Erzerum in the autumn of 1914, had been offered autonomy by Turkish emissaries, if it would actually assist Turkey in the war.

Akaby Nassibian, “Britain and the Armenian Question, 1915-1923,” 1984, p. 107; in other words, the Turks were hoping to enlist the aid of their own Armenian citizens in the desperate battle-for-survival to follow, and were hoping to tempt them with a fuller autonomy than the one they already possessed as a separate millet, that Richard Hovannisian himself pointed to in 1967. Let's have the rare honest Armenian historian explain what happened:

When the world war broke out in Europe, the Turks began feverish preparations for joining hands with the Germans. In August 1914 the young Turks asked the Dashnag Convention, then in session in Erzurum, to carry out their old agreement of 1907 and start an uprising among the Armenians of the Caucasus against the Russian government. The Dashnagtzoutune refused to do this and gave assurance that in the event of war between Russia and Turkey, they would support Turkey as loyal citizens. On the other hand, they could not be held responsible for the Russian Armenians.. The fact remains, however, that the leaders of the Turkish-Armenian section of the Dashnagtzoutune did not carry out their promise of loyalty to the Turkish cause when the Turks entered the war. The Dashnagtzoutune in the Caucasus had the upper hand. They were swayed in their actions by the interests of the Russian government and disregarded, entirely, the political dangers that the war had created for the Armenians in Turkey. Prudence was thrown to the winds; even the decision of their own convention of Erzurum was forgotten and a call was sent for Armenian volunteers to fight the Turks on the Caucasus front. [K.S. Papazian, from Patriotism Perverted (pg. 37)]

Once the Armenians who were conscripted deserted to the enemy in droves with their weapons, and demonstrated other acts of treachery, naturally their weapons were going to be taken away from them. They were assigned to the engineering corps, serving in labor battalions... since they had to do something. Would it have been better to get sent to the front, to die?

Of course, some of these troops were mistreated, and some actually were massacred by revengeful renegades. But as is often the case with this deceitfully told genocide tale, it is only the suffering of the Armenians that are paid note to. The fact of the matter is, Turkish soldiers were in an absolutely wretched state, as even these pro-Armenian sources testify.

Now we don't know how true it is, but since this "historian" is assuring us his claims are based on "official figures," how interesting that he has gone over and above Boghos Nubar's claims regarding the totals of Armenians who served as fighters. (Nubar: 190,000-200,000. Aykouni: over 250,000.) He also tells us this number constituted 13% of what he must have meant (with "entire") as the worldwide Armenian population. Was Aykouni trying to tell us the worldwide population was around one million less (at some 2 million) than what it really was, about 3 million? That wouldn't make sense, as Armenians like to claim there were more than 3 million at the time, usually 4 million and up. But that's what it sounds like, doesn't it?

That's really quite some comment by the Armenian lady who lamented the fact that her womb could no longer incubate future Armenian warriors!

The reality is as such: most of the Armenian fighters originated from the Ottoman Empire. As one example, here is the scoop behind how Armenians from just one province (Sivas) betrayed their nation.

The Armenians declared war on their nation. They lost; so they decided to make a "genocide" out of it, in very much an "unmanly" way... instead of facing up to their responsibilities.

Documents outlining the war paint of the Armenians

The Armenians had their war paint on even before war began, in all corners of the Empire, according to other hostile foreign diplomats. Just two of many examples:

"The Armenians of Deurt-yol [Dortyol-Mersin] are now well armed with modern rifles, every male adult having one in his possession."
British Consul Ralph Fontana in Aleppo to his government, Oct. 21, 1913, FO, 371/1773, No. 52128
"One of the leaders.., Boghos Nubar Pasha, has represented to me that the Armenian population of Cilicia would be ready to enroll themselves as volunteers in support of a possible disembarcation at Alexandretta, Mersina, or Adana on the part of the allied forces...."
Mr. Chetham to Sir Edward Grey, Nov. 12, 1914, FO, 371/2146, No. 70404
"Boghos Nubar is ready for independence war under the command of Russia."
FO 371/2146-68433 Nov. 7, 1914 (The above may not be a direct quote.)
"David Tehermoff, a fairly wealthy man and an Armenian friend.. informed me that the Armenians in Russia and Turkey were extremely anxious that war would break out between Russia and Turkey, as in that event the Armenians both in Russia and Turkey would endeavour to avenge themselves on the Turks....He also stated that 60,000 Armenians, in the Caucasun on the frontier had already volunteered to fight the Turks in the event of war breaking out...Their great ideal is to obtain freedom of Armenian under the protection of Russia."
Mr. Kinby to the English government, Nov. 6, 1914, FO, 371/2146, No. 68443
"Monsieur Varandian, delegate of Armenian Committee and speaking in its name requested me to ask you if His Majesty's Government would be disposed to utilise services of 20,000 Armenian volunteers to operate a descent upon the coast of [Cilicia] in region of Alexandretta. Half of the troops are ready in America rest the Balkans. Cyprus is suggested as base. Armenian committee hope that by their cooperating in conquest of this region they will secure its being placed under British protection."
Sir H. Bax Ironside stationed in Sofia, Bulgaria, to the English government, March 3, 1915, FO/, 371/2484. no. 25167 (Alexandretta. was Iskenderun.)
"Arms and Ammunition for Armenians Russian [m.3.d?] asks whether [?] it would join with France in providing arms and ammunition [in Alexandretta?] for use by Armenians against Turks."

Sent by embassy to Foreign Minister Sutherland, Feb. 25 1915, FO371/2484-22083

"Armenian volunteers are ready to participate in the uprising in Cilicia."

FO 371/46942 (The above may not be a direct quote.)

"Armenia — Conversation with Lord Bryce. His proposal that Russia should be approached to? Armenians that she would be prepared to agree to an autonomous Armenia being eventually instituted under Russian protection." (This document is said to reveal Armenians were under the command of Russians and in cooperation with the French, their aim being the partition of the Ottoman Empire.)

FO 371/2485-30439 Mar. 6, 1915; Letters of British Foreign Secretary Sir Edward Grey

(This report informs of an Armenian captain, Torcam?, in how Armenians plan both the massacres to be committed against the Turks, and the independence fight against the Ottomans in detail.)

FO 371/2485-126836 Sept 7 1915

The following New York Times account fills us in on this Torcom, identified as a "Russian." He was probably an Armenian from Russia.

PLANS ARMENIAN CORPS TO FIGHT FOR THE ALLIES

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Russian Officer Proposes to Obtain Recruits in Many Countries, Including America

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OCTOBER 19, 1915

LONDON, Oct. 18.--A dispatch to Reuter's Telegram Company from Petrograd says:

"Captain Torcom is planning to raise volunteer corps from the Armenians now residing in the Balkans, Egypt, Italy, France, Great Britain, and the United States to flight in the ranks of the Allies against Turkey.

"In an appeal with this end in view Captain Torcom says that the Armenians have been unable to prevent the massacre of Armenians in Asia Minor by the Turks, but that those living in other countries can help fight Turkey and that the allied powers will not refuse them the honor of joining in the war against their oppressors.

"Captain Torcom's plan provides for the formation of a maximum of thirty battalions and a minimum of ten battalions. Captain Torcom was wounded in the recent fighting in Cilicia, but is now able to leave the hospital and is about to start for London to get his plan in operation."

ADDENDUM, 10-06: Esat Uras fills us in a little more on (as spelled in "The Armenians in History and the Armenian Question," 1988, p. 906) Torkom. He was a Bulgarian Armenian. At the time of the Russian withdrawal from the Caucasian front, leaving the Turkish population at the mercy of the Armenians, Colonel Torkom became commander of Erzurum in December 1918.

"Torkom held a special military parade in order to intimidate the Moslem population and after twenty-one gun salutes, he gave a speech in Armenian addressed to General Odishelidze. In his speech, he announced that Armenia had declared its independence. When Odishelidze discovered the meaning of the speech, he immediately expelled him from the city."

It's possible Torkom took part in the assassination attempt on Sultan Abdul Hamid, in 1905.