Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
by
IE GÉNÉRAL H A ÏÉW S K I
General Mayewsky
CONSUL GÉNÉRAL
English translation
and notes by @agitpapa
The French text can be revealed
by turning off comments / annotations.
1916
LES MASSACRES
D'ARMÉHIE
Fragments Photographiques
et Traduction
Meticulously transcribed
from his report entitled:
Photographic fragments
and translation
General
Bolkhovitinov'sreport
echoed much of
what General
Mayewsky wrote:
European Great
Powers were behind
Armenian
separatism,
Armenian militants
committed
massacres in order
to provoke reprisals,
and Armenian
claims were
untruthful.
The Van consulate itself was opened in answer to the requests of Armenian
insurgents 1 whose aim, fully in concordance with Russia, was to provoke
massacres in order to precipitate a foreign intervention. Was Mayewsky too
Mayevsky's text goes slightly overboard when defending the Kurds, who
were easily played by the Armenian terrorist gangs to provide them with the
massacres they needed. Sultan Abdulhamit's attempt to regiment them
backfired and ended up increasing the chaos in the region.
2 Shaw, Stanford J. "The Armenian Legion and Its Destruction of the Armenian
However,
Comme among
on se rendraurban Armenians,
compte and
de la lecture
especially among young people,
des pages qui suivent, le Général Mayewski it is
impossible not to encounter a large number
attribue,ofd'une façonofpéremptoire,
amateurs toute field,
politics in every la respon
who will
sabilité display
des événements regrettables dont les Ar
méniens de Turquie eurent à souffrir, en premier
lieu aux révolutionnaires affiliés aux comités poli
tiques et en second lieu à l'Angleterre qui les
a encouragés.
4
3Parmitheir
les supposedly subtle understanding
nombreux témoignages qu'il cite, of
all sorts of political intricacies. . . . . . . . .
l'auteur se rapporte principalement au Blue Book
anglais
4 etWhomau Livre Jaune
do the français.revolutionary
Armenian
committees serve? Their people, the
On ne pourrait
interests taxer homeland,
of their de partialité lesfamily
their affir
mations du Général
hearths, puisqu'il
their a faith?
religious adresséNot sonat ou
all! In
most cases they were a rabble
vrage non au grand public, mais à ГEtat-Major of
urbanIIundereducated
de son pays. y a développé,youth, fired up
consciencieuse
with the inflammatory rhetoric of agitators.
ment et These
avec une franchise rare,
narrow-minded et en
people toute
couldn't
liberté sa even
conviction basée sur
comprehend the des constatations
simple fact that
their activity
faites sur les lieux mêmes. wasn't improving the
situation of the Turkish Armenians but
on the contrary, only worsening it. . . . . .
5Depuis un certain
is higher than thattemps, il a été peasants
of Russian remarqué-in
central Russia.
chez les citadins arméniens Butcertaines
at the same time it is
particularités
necessary to establish the fact that the
dans leur caractère. Tout arménien, qui a reçu une
entire rural population of the Asiatic Turkey,
instruction primaire,the
including possède des connaissances
Muslims, is not sufficientlytrès
vastes surprotected from suivie
la politique a well-known
par la number
nation en of
violent elements of the Kurdish
tière. Jouir d’une grande renommée, se donner population,
who are engaged in theft, armed robbery,
de l’importance,
and theft avoir une haute
of livestock ...... idée de soi-
même, voilà l'état d’âme qui existe à un égal
degré chez This,
toushowever, still does
les arméniens not allowàus
appartenant to say
cette
that the rural Armenians have
catégorie. De plus, ceux-ci prétendent que si les lived
constantly under the threat of a Kurdish
arménienspogrom.ne possèdent
If they trulypaslivedaujourd’hui
under such une
place importante
unbearable dans le mondethepolitique,
conditions, Armenian cela
population of Turkey would
provient uniquement de ce qu'ils se trouvent have inevitably
suffered severe attrition and perhaps even
sous la sujétion de la Turquie et que la nation
completely disappeared. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
arménienne renaîtra sûrement de nouveau et ac
querra As a consequence
6 l’importance politiqueofquitheluiweak
est dévolue.
development of civicism in the country, it is
Les possible
citadins toarméniens, et notamment
see an Armenian les
village relying
jeunes gens,
mores’occupent de toutes
on the Kurdish beys,sortes
rather de than
queson
the localetTurkish
tions politiques ont laofficials.
manie de. .faire
. . . .montre
.
de connaissances sur toutes les finesses de la
7 Between 1895 and 1896 was created
politique. between Kurds and Armenians such an
Les artificial enmity arméniens
jeunes citadins that it doomed any
qui, la reforms
plupart
to provide a peaceful environment for
du temps, n’apprenaient rien de sérieux et qui
s'enflammaient aux belles paroles des révolution
naires en renom, ne formaient en réalité qu’un
groupe d'ignorants incapables même de discer
ner que, par leurs agissements, ils conduisaient
leurs compatriotes non au salut, mais au malheur.
Les plaintes d’après lesquelles l'état des ar-
8
exciter le paysan.
Beginning On se mit à l'œuvre en com
mençant par les maîtres d'école, et par leur en
tremise,NOTE: Sarkis Gougounian is considered by Armenian
on inculqua aux jeunes gens le sentiment
nationalists to be a pioneer of their struggle.
20
Начн-
21
d'animosité
57 et de the
in 1892, haine contre les began
revolutionaries musulmans, using a
et, dans unmorecourt espace but
circuitous de safer
temps routecomme celui
through
de 3 à 4Persia ..............de jeunes hommes sans
ans, nombre
discernement se vouèrent à la mort.
Eventually, they developed a staging
Les scheme.
programmes de cesparties
Separate comités n'étaient
of Armenian
revolutionaries
d'accord que sur les points would degather in an area
se révolter et
close to the
verser du sang............. Turkish border, then at night,
with the help of guides,
Vers they
la fin
woulddu mois
travelde septembre villages
to Armenian de l'an
lying within the
née 1890,............... une Turkish
bande de borders.
80 à 90 Thein
locals provided them
dividus s'organisa sous le commandement de with temporary
shelter then at night they entered a strip
Serkis
58
Oogonian,
of purelyétudiant
Armenian à villages.
l’Université de Pé-
tersbourg. Cette bande, trompant la vigilance de
la police The fategarde-frontières
et des of these villages was a
russes sad de
près one,
as was that of any other
Kaghizmann, s'indroduisit en territoire turc. La place that the
Armenian revolutionaries held. The first of
moitié de them
cette figured
bande inseseveralcomposaitreports de ofjeunes
the
étudiants English
arméniens de Pétersbourg
Vice-Consul in Van *),etwho l'autre
moitié, depresumably,
volontaires playedhabitanta leswell-known
localités and sud
fairly long-term role on the
du Caucase. Aucun de ces individus ne savait ce path of
Armenian agitators from Persia to Turkey.
qu’était la Turquie; comment se gardait une
frontière; (*ceBlue
qu'estBook.un Turkey.
kurde; quelle
1894 No est220.1895
la to
No 291, 301, 452, 470.)
pographie de ces contrées. Ils n'avaient aucune
notion de tout cela. Mais qu'importait; leur but
59 A group of Armenian revolutionaries
essentiel était de passer
following en Turquie
this staged route etencountered,
d'y verser
des flots ostensibly
de sang. by chance, a group of 30 Kurds
of the Toukurli tribe, who camped around
them at the village of Bogazkesen,
Gogonian à leurfortête,
apparently 43 brigands
a short rest and to ontfeed eu
une rencontre avec des détachements russes (*)
( * ) La personne chargée à cette époque de faire des
études dans ces contrées était aide de camp danala 33me divi
sion d’infanterie.
22
remplace
68 *). . In. .theApast
la few
suite desI accidentally
months menées de ces byin
passed the
Varag monastery near Van, where people had gathered
dividus, to
plusieurs
celebrate the rixes eurent
release lieu,
of dozens en prisoners.
of such peu de
During the 3-4 hours I watched, under a spreading oak
temps, entre ces deux éléments.
tree under which flowed streams of Van rosé wine, about
a hundred Armenians, listening to one another in turn,
applauding warmly, with patriotism, and even a little
gratitude for the leniency
(Au paragraphe):- «l'atpectof theextérieur
Sultan, apparently
de la
prepared in another month again to join the ranks of the
question revolutionaries.
arménienneAlthough et l’intervention europé
I didn't understand their
language, the bursts of applause and cheers testified to
enne» (on remarque les lignes suivantes:)
the fact that the speakers were touching upon the most
burning aspects of the Armenian question. Two months
Le 15 Juin
later, more. than
. . de
halfl'année 1895,
of them were pour
again wantedlais
by the
Van police.
ser entendre qu'on s'était complètement récon
cilié avecWhatever
les révolutionnaires,
atrocities the Turks une are amnistie
accused
74
générale fut proclamée Ienwillfaveur
of everywhere, say one desthing:
détenusAll that
I know personally of the
politiques impliquées dans ces questions. Le len clashes between
demain, lesArmenians
portes and Muslimslesin various
de toutes prisons citiesde of
Turkey, leads me to to the conclusion that
l’Empire furent
the bloodyouvertesaffairet began
de centaines
because de ofrévo
the
lutionnaires relâchés dans le pays.
Armenians who were entering the country.
The Trebizond massacre began after, two
Turkish generals, Bahri Pasha and Hamdi
Pasha, were injured in the streets of this
(Après avoir
city. *) . .relaté
. . . . .les
. . .événements
. . . . . . . . .qui
. . . sont
.......
survenus à Constantinople le 18 Septembre 1895,
78 If
l'ouvrage at the present
mentionne time the ce
textuellement almost nothing is
qui suit:)
heard of the Armenians, who are living in
Quelles que security,
relative soient lesthe accusations
reforms have de bar nothing
barie portées contre les turcs,
to do with it. When Armenian il y a à relever
le fait querevolutionaries
les arméniens ont stopped their anl'unique
été partout anarchic
cause des activity,
incidents. tranquility
Cest ainsi wasque restored. If
les blessures
tomorrow they should take them up again,
portées enthe pleine
misery rueofà the
Trébizonde
Armenians surwill lesresume.
per
sonnes de Bahri pacha et de Hamdi pacha sont
87 On
les seules 12 October,
causes des masacresunder the quileadership
y eurentof the
lieu. young people who came from Europe,
they raised the red flag in the valley of
Kazanlik. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
88 Toutefois, là oùofles
The U-Turn révolutionnaires
English policy onsethesont
Armenian question
tenus à l'écart, les arméniens ont joui du repos.
Que ces comités reprennent aujourd'hui leur ac
Already at the end of November 1895 in
tivité, les arméniens
London it wasretomberont à nouveau
well understood dans
that the
Armenians
leur ancienne could drag Russia into a new war
misère.
with Turkey, which caused English politics on
the Armenian issue to take a sharp turn.
90 the house
extraordinaire pourofdétourner
the BritishlesConsul. I was not
révolutionnaires
present at these meetings, avoiding
arméniens de leur dessein, il ne parvint qu'à
contact with all Armenian leaders and
ajournertheir
de six mois
stupid les événements
revolution game. de Van.
Au mois de juin de 1année 1896, le fameux
The beginning of 1986 and the period
soulèvement de Van-
preceding éclata. 1896
the June L’hiver
events uneinfoisthe
passé etvilayet
le printemps
of Van arrivé, il fut constaté que
les révolutionnaires arméniens se réunissaient,
Thus
tantôt chez le deprived,
missionnairealready at the tantôt
américain, end ofchez
1895, of support from London, the Van
le consulagitators
anglais, did
pour
notdélibérer
let up in autheirsujet
effortsde tola
question.actively prepare for the event that they
hoped would attract the attention of the
Ne voulant pas paraître intéressé à un haut
whole of Europe to the Armenian cause.
degré à la révolte et à l'insurrection arménienne,
91 la Wealthy
dont caractère Armenians
même n'offrait began to receive
aucune utilité,
letters
on s abstint de demanding
prendre partmoneyà ces and threatening
réunions.
them with death. Several political
En assassinations
1895, les révolutionnaires
were committed de Vduringa n ___
this pour
travaillèrent time. attirer
The most important
à nouveau of thesede
l'attention
happened on January 6, on
1Europe sur la question arménienne...........des the biggest
Armenian holiday. On sunrise that day, by
lettres furent
verdictadressées aux revolutionaries,
of the Van riches arméniens the pour
leur demander
bishopde l'argent
Bogos wasenmortally
les menaçant
wounded de as
he was going to church to celebrate
leur vie. Durant ce temps, quelques crimes poli mass.
The poor
tiques furent commisold par
manordre
oweddu thiscomité
tragic révo
fate
only to the fact that he had courageously
lutionnaire de Van.the
protested Leoutrageous
plus important actionsdeof the ces
perpétré le 6groups.
crimes futrevolutionary Janvier, ................................
c’est à dire le jour
de la plus grande fête arménienne, sur la personne
du prêtre Bogos, alors qu'il se rendait à l'église
pour célébrer le service divin. Le pauvre vieil
lard avait été condamné à mort parce qu'il
s était virilement opposé aux agissements igno
minieux de certains révolutionnaires.
34
q] - Такъ
напримѣръ, въ теченіе всей зимы 1895—1896
годовѣ я часто слышалъ среди мертвой тишины
Ванской ночи отдѣльные ружейные выстрѣлы
92 въ той части армянскихъ, кварталовъ, кото
рые прилегали къ заднему Фасаду консульска
го дома. » .................f
94 Уже съ конца декабря 1895 года въ Ва
нѣ начала сосредоточиваться масса пришлыхъ
армянъ, подъ иредлогомъ полученія помощи
отъ американскихъ миссіонеровъ Благотвори
тельна}! дѣятельность этихъ послѣднихъ дѣйст
вительно расширилась потому, что въ ихъ ру
ки стали ноиадать всѣ капиталы, подучаемые
изъ Лондона англійскимъ консуломъ а предна
значаемые къ тому, чтобы хоть сколько нибудь
утѣшить разоренныхъ сельчанъ и вмѣстѣ съ
тѣмъ доказать армянамъ, вообще, что англи
чане всѳтаки имъ симпатизируютъ. Мизерна
была эта помощь и вызывала у нѣкоторыхъ
презрительныя замѣчанія,что ^англичане опла
чиваютъ Ф'унтъ армянской крови дешевле,
чѣмъ Фунтъ Ванскаго саману®
Среди ирибывшихъ армянъ, несомнѣнно,
находилось много такихъ, которые дѣйстви
тельно нуждались въ дневпомъ пропитаніи.
Но вполнѣ достовѣрно также и то обстоятель
ство, что среди искавшихъ падаяпія можцр
было обнаружить людей, наряжавшихся въ
лохмотья лишь, для прикрытія своей личности.
37
128 everyone
comités that it had
hantait l’esprit des done almost
milliers nothing to
d'arméniens,
catch even a part of the Armenian
réfugiés aux consulats de Russie et d'Angleterre
"fedayees."... They had gone completely
........... unpunished
D'ailleurs dans andcette question
the Turks le gouver
of Van were left to
nementcontemplate
se voyait dans the utter impotence
une situation of the
assez diffi
cile. Ilauthorities
n'avait mêmein thepasfight
pu against Armenian
arrêter, fut-ce même
gangs.
en partie, les révoltés. Le fait que ceux-ci s'é
taient
129 And échappés, sans subir population
if the Armenian aucune condamnation,
escaped a "
massacre,"
avait ébranlé it is onlylathanks
entièrement to the
confiance desVan habi
tants de administration...........................................
Van à l'égard des Autorités .. . (Toutefois)
C'est uniquement l'attitude du gouvernement qui
A detailed acquaintance with the so-called
a empêché le massacre des
Van "massacre" arméniens
provides de Van . . . .for
an opportunity
everyone to develop an approximate
understanding of the nature of similar events
En comparant other
at numerous les nouvelles
points ofde toutesTurkey.
Asiatic sor
tes, parues dans la presse sous le titre de mas
130 In
sacre Vas (15-16
général de Van, June),
avec the
les Armenian villages
détails exposés
that I came across didn't show the slightest
dans cet signouvrage, on parviendra
of life. They aisément but
weren't destroyed à had
se a
faire une idée desolate
strange, exacte deappearance.......................
ce que furent les évé
nements survenus dans les différentes parties de
In other regions there was almost no armed
l'Asie-Mineure.
struggle or deaths but there was robbery
everywhere. The villages that were least
affected by the events were under the
Si l’on étudie les événements survenus à
protection of the Kurds. There were a few
Van dans such ladistricts.
premièreI'll quinzaine
mention the du mois
Mokusdekaza, juin,
where, que
on constate thanks
cetteto the presence
contrée of the dans
se trouve
well-known
une situation toutKurd
à faitMuttala Bey, .all
déplorable . . . the
Les vil
lages qui se trouvaient sous la protection des
kurdes ont souffert le moins. Par exemple, la
présence dans le caza (canton) de Mukess d'un
chef kurde influent a fait que durant tous les
événements de Van, aucun incident ne s'y
48
132 Le On 14August
Août 14, 1896,
1896 around
à midi, 25 noon, 25 du
individus
Armenians of the society "Dashnakstutioun"
comitésuddenly
Dachnaksoutioune
occupied theenvahirent
Ottoman Bank la Banquein
Ottomane à Constantinople.
Constantinople Armés,
and, turning non
it into seule
a small
ment citadel,
de fusilsprotected
Mauser notmaisonly by de
aussi Mauser
bombes, bullets
ils
but also by dynamite bombs, launched
firent à l’Europe une proposition insolente, au an
insolent challenge to Europe. Threatening to
dernierblow
degré: Ils bank
up the déclarèrent ouvertement
building, with all the que si
l’Europe n'intervenait
valuables pas immédiatement
and documents in it, theyet d'une
façon efficace pour mener à ambassadors
demanded from European bonne voie les to
immediately
réformes involve themselves
dans les territoires habités par actively
les armé in
the cause of the Armenians and the vigorous
niens implementation
et ne prenait pas en considération
of such reforms that would leurs
besoins, ils feraient
respond to the sauter,
needs ofsurthe
le working
moment même
Armenian
la Banque people............................................
Ottomane avec tout son contenu.
133
premierWhat was the de
drogman purpose of the spectacular
l'Ambassade de Russie à
134
Constantinople, il fut décidé que les will
attack on the Ottoman Bank? I not
révolution
describe it. No results were obtained from the
nairesDashnakist
qui pour quelque gentlemens' temps, s'étaient
bravery rendus
of the feet.
maîtres de la Banque, feraient acte de soumission,
After quite
à condition que leurlengthy negotiations,
vie, considérée commeMaximov,
sacrée the
par tousDragoman of the Russian
les arméniens(l) Embassy in
fût sauvegardée.
Constantinople, finally persuaded the
temporary
Ceux-ci rulers tout
conduits of thed'abord
Ottoman auBank
yachttode
surrender in exchange for the preservation of
sir Edgard, ambassadeur
their lives, so precious d'Angleterre, furent un
to the Armenian
ou deux joursThey
people. aprèswere embarqués
escortedà first
bordtod'un
the ba
English qui
teau français yacht lesoftransporta
Sir Edgar àand then, apays
Marseille, few
days later, moved to the French
de liberté. Dans cette ville, ils furent condamnés à ship, the
"Gironde," which brought them to the liberal
l'internement dans une prison. Here
soil of France-Marseille. Nul doute que la
they were jailed
plupartin de
some ces kind
individus furent
of prison. mislikelihood,
In all en liberté mostau
of them
bout d'un are temps.
certain now walking in freedom,
Ces derniers, sans not
avoirat all
embarrassed that their stilted heroism first of
aucun remords sur l'effusion du sang de cen
all cost the lives of hundreds of their unhappy
taines brothers,
de leurs and congénères
then, in que leur conduite
the general course àof
the Armenian
Constantinople question,
avait causée se finally established
promenaient à leur a
turning
aise dans les rues. point in favor of the Armenians.
tendait
135 àThey
assister de nouveau
entered à desthescènes
the city from side oftra
the
giques village ajouta
.........il "Advance"
que [Avaris-now
les chefs decalled bandeEvciler]
étaient and,
de passing by
nationalité soldiers, officers, and police
russe........
on the way, went to the gardens of the
On Armenian
entendit quarters.
des coupsHere de they
fusil, seized one of
sans dis
the more convenient houses for defense and
continuer. De plus, les arméniens se ruèrent
prepared to fight the Turkish side.
sur le jardin du consulat de Russie comme
obéissantComing
à un toordre.
the English
En peu consulate,
de temps, I went
les to
Major Williams with this news
allées du jardin furent remplies de familles to say good-bye
to him!- "Well, no need to rush," my
d'arméniens et de leurs effets............... Une
respectable colleague interrupted me at the
demie heure
very first s'était à peine
phrase. "You écoulée,
will havequ'un of
to stay
because
ficier vint today we
m'annoncer, de will witness
la part a new dramatic
de Saadeddin
136 act, and this time together with you." As a
Pacha, que les mesures les plus sévères
result, he told me many things about the
étaient spectacular
prises pour entry rétablir
of thel'ordre
gang thatet had
ajouta
arrived,
que leswarning
habitants me that a number
paisibles n'enof souffriraient
the leaders were
Russian subjects.
nullement.
An interminable
L'investissement parvolley
huit of rifle fire went
bataillons, up.
de l'en
Simultaneously, as if at a signal, the low walls
droit où se trouvaient les 35 bandits, ob
around my garden were assaulted by
ligea non seulement
Armenians les arméniens
anxiously awaitingmais encore
the beginning of
the àbattle.
les kurdes I hadn't
se tenir gone down to sleep
tranquilles.........La nuitwhen I
wasfumée
venue, une overwhelmed withde
noire s'éleva thelasight of adans
maison mass of
people, as if sprung from the ground,
laquelle les révolutionnaires arméniens s'étaient
hastening, with their soon-to-be-seized
retranchés et la bâtisse
household brûla entièrement.
possessions, to take their Diffé
places
along thecirculent
rentes versions path of the garden
encore quant au sort
des assiégés......... Quelles qu'elles soient, le fait
est que la bande avait pris la fuite. Le lende
main .........on entendit des coups de canons.
Toutes les fois que la canonnade cessait, on en
tendait le chant des arméniens. En buvant le vin
rouge de Van, ils s'amusaient à tirer des coups
54
135 Опа вступаетъ въ городъ со
стороны сел. Аванса и, бойко слѣдуя, мимо попа
дающихся ей по дорогѣ отдѣльныхъ солдатъ,
Офицеровъ и чиновъ полиціи, направляется
къ садамъ армянскихъ кварталовъ. Здѣсь она
занимаетъ одинъ изъ болѣе удобныхъ для
обороны домовъ и приготовляется выдержать
единоборство съ турецкими таборами.
Слѣдуя
мимо англійскаго консульства, ѳаѣзжаю къ
маіору Вильямсу съ тѣмъ, чтобы сказать ему
до свиданія “•!— „Ну, напрасно торопитесь",
перебилъ меня на первой же Фразѣ мой поч
тенный коллега .. „Вамъ придется остаться
потому, что мы сегодня же будемъ свидѣте
лями новаго драматическаго акта, и на сей
136 разъ вмѣстѣ съ Вами." Вслѣдъ за симъ онъ
разсказалъ мнѣ объ эфектномъ вступленіи при
бывшей банды армяпъ, предупреждая, что
въ числѣ ея руководителей есть русско-под-
данные.
пошла уже несмолкаемая ружей
ная трескотня. Одновременно, какъ-бы по си
гналу, низкія стѣны, ограждающія мой садъ,
были атакованы армянами, тревожно ждавши
ми начала борьбы. Я не успѣлъ еще сойти
внизъ, какъ на моихь глазахъ выросла, точно
изъ подъ земли, масса народа, торопившагося,
со своими на скоро захваченными домашними
пожитками, занять мѣста по дорожкадіъ сада
55
...........Dans
Three days la brochure
later, I was on intitulée
my way: "toPour
Igdir with
l'Arménie400 „Armenians
tout ce que whol'onwerepourrait
evicted from Van.
imaginer
The activities of the Armenian agitators have
en fait d'atrocités est amplement relaté.........
created here such painful conditions that if it
Les écrivains
were possible,arméniens s'écartent,
all the Armenians au plus
of Van haut
point, without exception
de la vérité. Leurwould flee to Russia.
but essentiel est d'in
venter et de décrire des atrocités inouïes. Par là
The days of August 14 and September 12 were
au lieu very d'attirer
typicaldeforl'intérêt et de ofla Armenian
the activities sympathie,
ils ne agitators.........................................................
réussirent à provoquer que du mépris pour
les arméniens.
140 But everything boiled down to the fact that on
the 22nd of June, east of Bashkala, on the
- .................
141 bordersAu commencement
of Salmas (a Persiandeprovince),
l'hiver de a gang
of Armenians joined the
l'année 1901, apparut aux environs de MouchePersian Kurds and
la bande d'Antranik. Le 20 Décembre cette bande
s'empara du couvent Sourp Araquèle (situé à 5 ou
NOTE: The footnote "*)" for the second paragraph is missing.
6 verstes à l'Est de Mouche) et le transforma en
quelque sorte en une petite place fortitiée.... Dans
le couvent de Sourp Araquèle, outre la bande
58
d’Antranik,
141 se trouvait
made sudden aussi
attack des prêtres
on camp et desof
of the head
the Kurdish
villageois; on y Merzeki
rencontrait ashiret
même[clan], Sherif Bey.
des femmes et
Around 150 Turkish Kurds - men, women and
des e n fa n ts.... Les troupes avaient établi tout
children - were killed and wounded during the
autour du couvent un cordon militaire. Dans
attack...............................................................
la nuit du 29 décembre une très forte tem
pête In dethe endfaisant
neige of Augustrage, of
lesthe same year,
défenseurs du a gang
cou
led by Russian-born Faramaz appeared near
vent disparurent sans laisser aucune trace.
Van. It was successfully apprehended (about
30 people) without any complications. The
anarchist activity of the Armenians in Van died
down, 1902.
...........En and the . . . vilayet of Bitlismacédonienne
la question with its Sasun
and Mush districts began to appear on the
surgissant,
stage. le mouvement
In 1898-99 thedegang Sassoun
of Serob fut acquired
forcé
menta différé.
certain La
fame pression exercée du dehors sur
here.........................................
le Gouvernement Ottoman à la suite de la ré
volteAnd
142 so I can say ayant
macédonienne that from
été thejugéebeginning
suffisante,of
1898 the anarchic activity of the Armenians is
on n’avait
limitedpas
mainlyvoulu créer
to the une nouvelle
vilayet Bitlis. question
dans ces contrées.
146 -In a word, this tainted smear is crammed with
Toutefois
every le gouvernement,
unbridled fantasy en faisant cerner
Sassoun avait en vue, d'empêcher les bandes
147 - The truth
de s'étendre dansis that Armenian
la plaine authors carefully
de Mouche........
build their case on inflated facts. Their entire
activity
Le “ProisArmenia»,
based onorgane a combination
de propagande of fables des
designed to evoke sympathy for Armenians
arméniens...........publiait en 1903 dans son No.
and antipathy toward Turks.
66 les lignes suivantes: “Dans le cas où l'Europe
ne voudrait pas user officiellement de ses moyens
d’intervention, les révolutionnaires arméniens ne
consentiront pas inutilement à leur propre ex
termination ainsi qu’à celle de leur nation. Partout
où il y aura des arméniens en danger, qu'ils
soient de Sassoun ou |d'autres localités, le comité
accourra à leur secours.»
60
141 произвела внезапное нападеніе на лагерь пред
ставителя курдскаго аширета Мерзеки—Ше-
рафъ-бея. Во время атаки былъ раненъ Шѳ-1
рйФь бей и убито и ранено около 150 чело
вѣкъ турецкихъ курдовъ—мущинъ, женщинъ
и дѣтей.....................................................................
Въ концѣ августа того же года близъ Вана
появляется ш ійва *руссвоподданнаго Фара-
ліаза Ее удачно вахватываютъ цѣликомъ (око
ло 30 человѣкъ) безъ всякихъ осложняющихъ
актъ арестованія инцидентовъ йослѣ ѳтого
анархическая дѣятельность армянъ въ Ван-
скомъ ьилаетѣ затихаетъ, и на сцену испод-.
воль начинаетъ выступать Битлисскій вилаетъ
съ его областями Сасуномъ и Мушемъ, Въ
1898—99 годахъ особую славу пріобрѣтаетъ
вдѣсь шайка С е р о п а ............................................
142 И такъ, могу констатировать, что съ на
чала 1898 года анархическая дѣятельность
армянъ ограничивается, главнымъ образомъ,
вилаѳтомъ Битлисъ...............................................
146 — Словомъ въ, ѳту аляповатую мазню вти
снуто все, что только можетъ создать самое
разнузданное воображеніе.
147 — Истины нѣтъ
потому, что армянскіе авторы тщательно ея
избѣгаютъ У нихъ все построено на раздуваніи
фактовъ. Вся ихъ дѣятельность основана на
соэдапіи небылицъ, которыя могли бы вызвать,
симпатіи —къ армянамъ и антицатіи—къ тур-
61
155 . Слѣ
дующія строки той Же газеты „Рю Armenia
66 —1903 г.) прямо говорятъ, что армяне
имѣютъ вь Сасунѣ извѣстное число боевыхъ
силъ, вполнѣ готовыхъ къ началу борьбы.
.Если офиціальная Европа не исполняетъ
своихъ элементарныхъ обязанностей, то .фе.
дай* не позволятъ безнаказанно задушить
ихъ беззащитныхъ собратьевъ. Изъ Сасуна’
или ужъ откуда бы тамъ не было, они явятся
туда, гдѣ будетъ угрожать опасность*.. .
Затѣмъ., въ № 65 имѣется нѣчто въ ро
дѣ призыва новыхъ добровольцевъ .Если
156 въ ближайшемъ будущемъ наши собратья ие
явятся къ намъ на выручку, мы будемъ пере
рѣзаны, какъ бараны ... Мы не можемъ пос
тоянно расчитывать... на вмѣшательство Ев
ропы. Мы должны надѣятся, какъ на свой
щитъ, прежде всего на самихъ себя...* .В ъ
тотъ день, когда мы поставимъ свою грудь
къ непріятельскимъ пулямъ, мы почувству
емъ и оцѣнимъ матеріальную и моральную
помощь нашихъ братьевъ и сестеръ."
Всѣ приведенныя аыдсржки свидѣтельству
ютъ о томъ, что современная идея армянскихъ
вожаковъ—усугубитъ тяжелое положеніе Т ур
ціи и прибавить къ чепухѣ Македонскихъ дѣлъ
осложненія въ Курдистано-Арменіи, можетъ по
лучить осуществленіе въ ближайшемъ буду
щемъ. Опубликованіе въ «N? 76 газеты .Рго А г-
65
А Р М Я Н Е К А Т О Л И К И .
они держатся отъ своихъ
собратьевъ ниолнѣ особнякомъ и даже не хо
тятъ признавать себя армянами, вообще..........
161 Турки—лучшая часть не только мусуль
манскаго, но и прочаго населенія Аз. Турціи.
Они вевсе пе заслуживаютъ той репутаціи,
которая создается имъ извѣстною частью рус
ской и иностранной иечати. Та свобода, кото-
69
qui doitby
163 attirer
fate l'attention en Turquie,
of ever seriously c'est la longue
experiencing these
durée de la période
fabled, legendaryde sécurité
"Turkishplutôt que les
atrocities?"
révoltes qui éclatent de temps à autre. Alors
qu'il eûtAnd to this
fallu queday I hold the conviction
l'oppression that
et la vexation
166 these Turkish atrocities are precisely those
ainsi quewithin la révolte perpétuelle
the capabilities of dominassent
the Christians dans
of the
un pareilEast, pays;
whol'éloignement
excel at the design seul des révoluti
of fabrications
onnaires,anddeblame them aonradicalement
ce milieu the Turks. . .enrayé
. . . . . et
....
supprimé toute agitation. La révolte arménienne
167 All this leads to the fact that in Turkey what
prit uneveryone
caractère needs
tel qu'onto be croirait
surprised qu'elle
at is not n'athe
jamais riots
eu lieu.that Seulement
periodicallylaappear révolteinfitvarious
place parts
à
of the empire, but the long intervals of
la famine.
absolute
Dans quel tranquility that followenthese
état se trouvaient anarchic
1895-96
periods. One should be surprised not that
lies provinces de Trébizonde et de Sivas et que
turmoil occurs in Turkey but that years pass
devinrent-elles
without any au bout de quelques
turmoil. It would seemannées?thatAux with a
révoltesweak administration
extrêmement there should
sanglantes have le
succédèrent
calme et existed a realm of constant abuses and
la tranquillité.
violence; but what we see is that when the
.............En voici la in
political agitators cause: La tranquillité
the well-known area,
et la sécurité
disappear, qui allrégnaient
the unrest dans cesin régions,
- gone a flash!
durant Butles they
annéesstill 1900-1903,
benefit. Howétaient were the would-be
vraiment
surprenantes. Au Caucase, pays voisin de la in
vilayets of Trebizond and Sivas portrayed
168 1895-1896
province de Trébizonde, malgré l'emploi de toutes
sortes de moyens de répression, secondés par un
rigoureux service d'ordre militaire, on massacrait
et assassinait les gens en plein jour. Pareils
incidents s'y répétaient presque chaque jour,
tandis qu a Trébizonde au contraire, où il n'y a
que trente à quarante malheureux gendarmes,
la sécurité la plus complète ne cessait de régner.
Ce fait constitue la preuve la plus évidente pour
démontrer, d'une façon irréfutable, la valeur de
74
l'administration
and what ottomane et la moralité
is their current state? The exemp
174
laire de unimaginable
sa population chaos en faitandd’obéissance
confusion were aux
replaced by unruffled peace
autorités. Cette population a formé une catégorie an quiet. Isn't
that remarkable?
d’une nature telle que leI mention those twoturc
Gouvernement
vilayets because I personally witnessed
peut compter en toute
this quiet periodconfiance
of 1900-1903sur cette
andmasse
was
dans les amazed
momentsat les- the plus difficiles.
peaceful nature of the social
life there. Oddly enough, even simple theft
was unheard of during that time. It is
completely baffling when one considers
............
that the La situationregion,
Caucasus des kurdes
which is quite
close to Trebizond, has local government
guards, police, troops, gendarmerie, etc.,
Le Kurde Moussa
to ensure Beysafety,
public de Kardjigan
yet peopleest connu
get
de tout lebeaten
monde. and killed therebey
Kouli-Khan in broad
et Télidaylight
bey de
almost daily. Whereas all
Guévache, Chakir agha du Caza de Chatakhe et that Trebizond
has is a few dozen wretched zaptiyehs
autres, bien qu'ils
[police] withneantique
puissentguns pas andêtre yet
comparés
aux chefseverything
des tribus, issont pourtant
peaceful, connus
quiet, anddesafe...It's
tous,
complicated!.. It would
comme des gens de renom parmi les kurdes be worthwhile to
indigènes.fullyDurant
analyze la this phenomenon,
révolution whichces
arménienne,
demonstrates the intrinsic merits of the
aghas ont joué d'importants
Turkish administration rôles.
and theGrâce à virtue
civic l'in
fluence de certains
of the d'entreTurkish
indigenous eux, population.
les arméniens This
is a population that the Turkish
furent protégés et leurs besoins allégés . . . . Par
administration can firmly rely upon even
exemple, Moussa Bey, Kouli-Khan Bey ont accou
175 under the most seemingly im-
ru avec tous leurs hommes pour protéger les
arméniens, et leur prêter secours. Les villages
arméniens qui ont eu recours à la protection
des aghas et des tribus, ont été entièrement à
l'abri de toute calamité. Alors que le village
voisin non protégé avait été mis en ruines, per
sonne n'est venu inquiéter ceux-ci.
76
175 д о е н ія х ъ и условіяхъ.
176 въ казѣ Карчканъ всѣмъ
хорошо извѣстеиъ курдъ Мусса-бей; въ казѣ
ГСявашъ —Кули-ханъ и Тели-бей; въ казѣ [Па
тахъ— Шакиръ ага и ироч. Всѣ эти и имъ ио-
добныя личности, хотя не могутъ быть срав
ниваемы съ начальниками отдѣльныхъ аши
ретовъ, ....................................................................
Это послѣднее
нерѣдко цѣлыми селеніями прибѣгало къ по
мощи подобныхъ Мусса-беевъ, Кули-хаиовъ
и другихъ лицъ, прося у нихъ покровитель
ства и защиты, . . « . * ........................................
182 благодаря содѣй
ствію какого нибудь Шакира или МустаФЫ,
спасалось отъ преслѣдованія, отдавшееся подъ
ихъ покровительство селеніе, въ то время,
когда всѣ окрестныя селенія подвергались поч-
іи полному разоренію.
Отношенія курдовъ къ армянамъ.
185 Никакое трудолюбіе само по себѣ ни
когда не могло бы обезпечить армянамъ-сель
чанамъ того матерьяльнаго благосостоянія, ко
торымъ они обладали до 1895 года, если бы
только накопляемые ими достатки подверга
лись аостиннной оиастноети разграбленія. Въ
виду этого, всѣ разсказы о бѣдственномъ по
ложеніи армянъ въ Турціи (до 1895 года)
нужно считать слишкомъ преувеличе ным и
79
soûl
188 n’etant fact pasthat encore arrivé anx pâturages,
the Armenians of the nakhiyenous
Norduz annually scatter
décidâmes de nous réfugier là où il se trouvait to other kazas
afin de luiand vilayets,
demander so Nous
asile. that, innousdueréunîmes
course, there
au
will probably not be a single Armenian
nombre de 700, left
village et après
here, due une perhaps
marche to dethedeux
heavy
jours, nous memories
rencontrâmes of the la years 1895 avancée
caravane -1896. "Most
de
of all, it's the Kurds of
Hadji Agha et le troisième jour, nous rejoignîmes the Chidanli who
bother us," complained the mukhtar. "If
Hadji Agha lui-même. 11 nous procura à nous
our patron Hadji Agha (kaymakam of
tous de quoi Hamidiyehmanger.from Pour thelaKocheri
première fois, ofil
ashiret
immola trentenomadic Kurds, ilwho
moutons, fitcame northdufrom
préparer rizthe
(pilav); nousMosul fûmes region)ainsididdurant
not protect
tout us,un there
mois
would not be a single Armenian left in our
les hôtes nakhiye
de Hadjilong agha.ago.Pendant ce temps, nous
habitâmes sous ses tentes, et cela sans rien lui
payer.
189 Ensuite,Even ifnous Omer Aghafait
ayant (agha of the Chidanli
accompagner par
un nombre suffisant de ses hommes pour nous we
ashiret) hadn't killed us all, in any case
would be gone from this realm. When in
protéger, nous
the year parvînmes
1896 the à récolter
town heardnotre about
moisson.the
Vanlàriots,
Ce sont most of
des vérités the Norduz
entendues de laArmenians
bouche
decided to immediately flee and save
même desthemselves.
arméniens personnellement
Any minute the Kurds impliqués
of
Chidanli
dans l’affaire; could come.
et pourtant HadjiBut aghawhereest could
connu one
dans les provinces de Moussoul et de not
go? Our patron, Hadji Agha, had yet
Bitlis
arrived from Mosul. We decided to go and
comme un bandit des plus fameux.
meet him. About 700 people gathered for
Durantthe lesjourney. Two days
événements from en
de Van here, we le
1896, met
Hadji Agha's advance party and a day
kurde Moussa later foundBey était,Hadjid’après les bruits
Agha himself. He qui
couraient accepted
parmi les us villageois,
as a father considéré
acceptscomme his
children. I had
unique par son attitude; on entendit dire que
lors des événements, un grand nombre de réfu
NOTE:giés"Hadji" and "Agha"
arméniens are bothtrouvé
avaient titles and not names
asile auprèsandde "Kocheri" is
not the name of an ashiret (clan) but simply means nomadic. The man in
Moussa
question Bey.
is most likelyIl Hadji
y avaitElyasmême parmi ces
of the nomadic réfugiés
Dudêran/Duderi
ashiret
deux soeurs arméniennes de nationalité the
who had the rank of pasha (not kaymakam) in Hamidiye
austro-
Regiments. Mayevski's only source seems to be the Armenian villagers,
hongroise;
who weren't privy toquand
Kurdish lestribal
événements
and Ottoman eurent pris
military fin
affairs.
86
188 что армяне нахіи Нордузъ ежегодно высѳ
ляются въ другія вазы вилаета, такъ что, со
временемъ, здѣсь не останется, пожалуй, ни
одного армянскаго селенія, они переходятъ
затѣм къ своимъ воспоминаніямъ о тяжоломъ
для нихъ періодѣ 1895—1896 годовъ „Больше
всего досаждаютъ намъ наши сосѣди курды
ІЛейданлыи жаловался старшина" Если-бы
только не нашъ покровитель Хаджи-ага (кай
макамъ гамидіѳ, аширета кочеровъ—кочевыхъ
курдовъ, приходящихъ на лѣто въ Нордузъ
со стороны Моссула), то во всей нашей нахіи
давно не осталось-бы ни одного армянина.
189 Омеръ-ага (агаларъ Шейданскаго аширета)
всѣхъ насъ если бы не зарѣзалъ, то, во вся
комъ случаѣ, пустилъ бы по миру. Когда въ
іюнѣ 1896 года здѣсь стало извѣстно о Ваи-
окихъ безпорядкахъ, то большая часть Нор-
дузскихъ армянъ рѣшила немедленно искать
спасенія въ бѣгствѣ. Каждый часъ могли нагря
нуть курды ШейданЛы Но куда дѣваться?ІІашъ
покровитель Хаджи-ага еще не прибылъ изъ
Моссула Мы рѣшили бѣжать къ нему на
встрѣчу. Собралось насъ около 700 человѣкъ
Передовыя партіи Хаджи-аги мы вотрѣиули въ
двухъ дняхъ пути отсюда, а еще черезъ день
и самого Хаджи-агу. Онъ принялъ насъ, какъ
отецъ принимаетъ своихъ дѣтей. Всѣхъ пасъ
сейчасъ я?е накормили. Для первого раза—
зарѣзали 30 барановъ, сварили пловъ; и за-
87
NOTE: This is not borne out by any evidence. By all accounts local
Christians and Muslims lived in terror of the Kurds and it got much
worse with the creation of the Hamidiyeh regiments, whose
members enjoyed total impunity for their crimes, much like the
village guards do today.
94
(...)
Agitation and Terror were needed to "elevate the spirit Social Democrat
of the people." Demonstrations against the government, re- Hunchakian Party
and hatred of the logo
fusal to pay taxes, demands for reforms,
aristocracy were part of the party's agitation campaign. The
people were also to be incited against their enemies and
were to "profit" from the retaliatory actions of these same
enemies.
Terror was to be used as a method of protecting the
people and winning their confidence in the Hunchak pro-
gram. The party aimed at terrorizing the Ottoman govern-
ment, thus contributing toward lowering the prestige of
that regime and working toward its complete disintegra-
tion. The government itself was not to be the only focus
of terroristic tactics. The Hunchaks wanted to annihilate
the most dangerous of the Armenian and Turkish indi-
viduals who were then working for the government, as
well as to destroy all spies and informers. To assist them in
Hunchakian leader
carrying out all of these terroristic acts, the party was to Hampartsoum Boyadjian
organize an exclusive branch, specifically devoted to per- aka Murad the Great, who
started the 1894
forming acts of terrorism.
Sasun rebellion
Nalbandian, Louise. The Armenian Revolutionary Movement:
The Development of Armenian Political Parties through the
Nineteenth Century. University Of California Press, Berkeley,
Los Angeles, 1973
cials, informers, traitors, usurers,and every kind of exploiter. One of the ARF's
9. To protect the peaceful people and the inhabitants three founders,
against attacks by brigands. Christaphor
Mikaelian was
10. To establish communications for the transportation of killed while trying
men and arms. to make
11. To expose government establishments to looting and explosives for the
destruction.
VBIED used ln the
attempt on
The last major section of the Program was devoted to Ottoman Sultan
Nalbandian, Louise. Ibid. p.168 Abdulhamit's life.
the organization of the party. It declared that the principle
The ARF's 1905 terrorist bombing of a mosque attended by Abdulhamit II, using one of the first
VBIEDs in history, that killed scores of innocent civilians, continues to be dismissed by Western
historians as a trivial event.
A5
On 14 March 1915, the CUP interior minister Talât ordered the governor of
Van to place him under surveillance because of his "collaboration with the
Armenians." Apparently the fact that he protected some Armenian villages
made Talat doubt his loyalty to the state.
Although Hussein Pasha was clearly not the demon that Armenian
propagandists made him out to be, he did did seize a great deal of Armenian
and Muslim land, as did all tribal chiefs, but not necessarily violently and
more of it from his own Kurds than from Armenians.
The monastery of Varag near Van, with the newly-built quarters for the
boarder students standing in the foreground. Khirimian inculcated his ideas
about the Armenian nation and its claim to a separate state to his flock here.
A12
Khrimian's monastery was ruined in the fighting, where it was used asan
insurgent base. The Armenians emerged from the genocide and loss of
their homes and culture in Turkey with a national identity rooted in the
hatred of Turks. The Turks likewise hated Armenians, Arabs, and
Greeks for "betraying" them.
100-odd years later not only is there still no reconciliation but the
governor of Van appointed by the Turkish dictator Tayyip last year had a
public toilet built on an Armenian cemetery and has been using the last
remaining stones of the Varag monastery to build a mosque.
Go ugounian, Sarkis
(1866-1913)
Born in the village of Nizh in Nukhi,
Gougounian studied at St. Petersburg
and was the central figure in a group
of nationalist Armenian students. He
went to Tbilisi early In 1890, joined
Krikor Ardzrouni and started to form
and arm a contingent of 100-150 men
with a view to making an expedition in
to Turkish Armenia.
The recently formed Kentron got in
touch with Gougounian to suggest cer
tain tactical variations, but he stuck to
his position and on September 23
crossed the border at the head of 150
men. The contingent went off track
and unwittingly returned into Russian
territory, and there ensued a fight with
the Cossack border guards. Most of
the men were arrested, summarily tried
and exiled to the island of Sakhalin.
Pardoned in 1905, Gougounian re
turned to the Caucasus. However,
during the Leizhin persecutions, he
was arrested once more as a
Dashnaktsakan and thrown into prison
at Oriol (Orel). He died there in
November 1913.
Bismarck shakes with Russian Count Shuvaloff while the Ottomans (one of them is
Greek) sulk in the background, presided over by Lord Salisbury
Ibrahim Pasha
from Viranshehir
near Urfa had a
reputation as a
"protector of
Christians" and his
Milli (="national")
clan was one of
the most
trustworthy
Hamidiyeh units,
which even fought
in Yemen.
However when the
CUP took power
his end was swift.
An ex-Hamidiyeh tribe on the Caucasus front in World War I. Disbanded by the CUP
and then partly reintegrated into the regular army, these Kurds look even more
undisciplined than under Abdulhamit, probably a false impression from the
CUP-imposed ban on uniforms, which the Hamidiyehs had been using for intimidation.
rioted and approched the British for protection, who initially rejected
them, preferring to back the Armenians. To stop the rioting and defect-
ions, the CUP re-enlisted some of the tribes as "Tribal light reserve
cavalry," but under a stricter disciplinary regimen.
The young officers of the CUP needed to assert their authority, they
needed troops, and they hoped to create a new Ottoman society where
all religions and ethnicities were equal - a very tall order. Public
reconciliation meetings were held between Kurds and Armenians. 6
However war was approaching and Russia needed the Armenians for its
territorial ambitions. The Germans saw the Armenians as a liability. 7
Neither the CUP nor the
Armenian committees were
given the chance to prove
their good intentions.
1 Klein, Janet. The Margins of Empire :
Kurdish Militias in the Ottoman Tribal
Zone; Stanford, 2011, p.49
2 Op. cit. pp.71-79
3 Op. cit. p.51
4 Op. cit. p.48
5 Op. cit. pp.153-166
6 Op. cit. p.109
7 Dadrian, Vahakn N. German
McCarthy, Justin, et al. Armenian Rebellion at Van; University of Utah Press, 2006. p.61
There was also the matter of Irish Home Rule, which Gladstone
championed but everyone else virulently opposed. How could a British
prime minister credibly accuse the Ottomans of tormenting Christians
and demanding their freedom when his own country had just
committed genocide by famine in Ireland, was extorting Irish farmers,
and suppressing Irish cries for freedom?
1
For the business interests behind Gladstone's pro-Russian policy, see Gaillard, Gaston.
The Turks and Europe; Thomas Murby & Co., 1920. pp 112-115
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