Papazian concludes: "Years of futi-le and wasteful struggle against the Turk-ish Governments finally forced the scholastic leaders of the Dashnagtzou-tune, who had directed the struggle from their safe refuges of Geneva and Tiflis, to admit their defeat, but not their ignorance" (p. 25). The Dashnag flirtation with "socialism" angered the Russian Government and failed to attract the support of the European socialists. "The net result," says Papa-zian, "was a tremendous waste of energy and internal dissensions" (p. 31).

According to Papazian, the Dashnags also agitated against the Armenian church in Turkey. He adds: "In a great many instances, the Dashnag leaders made their henchmen break into the churches, fling open the doors and start their political meetings..." (p. 35). He mentions that at least in one instance, "two Armenians who wanted to protect the church of Smyrna from being sacrileged (violated), were shot and killed on the spot by Dashnag terrorists."

When the First World War broke out in Europe, the Dashnagtzoutune gave assurances to the Turks that in the event of a war between Tsarist Russia and the Ottoman Empire, they would support the latter as loyal citizens (p.37). However, they did not keep their promise of loyalty (p.38). "They were swayed in their actions by the interests of the Russian Govern-ment..even the decisions of their own convention of Erzurum was forgotten, and a call was sent for Armenian volunteers to fight the Turks on the Caucasian front" (p.38). Papazian adds that the "Armenian volunteer regiments rendered valuable services to the Russian Army" in the years 1914-1916. "The methods used by the Dashnagtzoutune in recruiting these regiments were so open and flagrant that it would not escape the attention of the Turkish authorities." Armen Garo, a Dashnag leader (whose real name was Karakin Pastirmadjian, one of those who invaded the Ottoman Bank in 1896), also a member of the Ottoman Parliament, had taken an active part in the organization of volunteer regiments to fight the Turks. His picture was circulated in the Dashnag papers (p.39). Papazian concludes that the representatives of the Armenians in Turkey, the Patriarchate and its organs were not consulted in adopting these policies.

Although the Armenians rendered service to the Russian forces, the latter did not help the Armenian cause. They kept the conquered Ottoman provinces in the East for themselves, and after the Bolshevik Revolution, their army abandoned the front. The Armenians declared the independence of Armenia on the Caucasus, recognized by the Turks on June 4, 1918 by the Treaty of Batoum. "The Dashnag party found itself in the saddle" (p. 40). Used to violent methods, "they failed to show any ability for government and statesmanship_They tyrannized the people and defied the government" (p.41). In support of his statements, Papazian quotes the report of General Harbord's Commission (U.S.) and the words of Hovhannes Katchaznouni, (6) the first Prime Minister of the Armenian Republic. He notes that in internal affairs, the Dashnag government "failed to establish peace and a minimum of law and order" (p. 42). Externally, it waged three wars in two-and-a-half years. (p.43). The war in Georgia "caused untold calamity to Armenia" (p. 44). The war with Azerbaijan "ended disastrously for the Armenians." The war with Turkey was "the outcome of the Act of May 28, 1919," by which the Armenian Republic claimed Eastern Anatolia. This proclamation claimed that eastern Anatolia "united" (p.47) with the existing Armenian Republic. Papa-zian continues: "If we remember that the existing Republic was recognized by the Turks under the Treaty of Batoum, in which the Russian-Arme-nian envoys renounced all territorial claims over Western Armenia, we can readily comprehend why the Turks regarded the Act of May 28, 1919, as a provocation of war" (p.45). He adds that the Armenian Govern-ment "created an immediate occasion for conflict by occupying the district of Oltu." He also says the arrogant attitude of the Armenian Government toward Soviet Russia in 1920 deprived the small republic of a strong and natural ally.

The Treaty of Sevres, which recog-nized Armenia, was signed on August 10, 1920, by the representatives of the Armenian Republic. "The same men were to repudiate the Sevres Treaty and the claims of Armenians in Turkey by signing the Treaty of Alexandropol on December 2,1920" (p.48). Papazian says that the text of this treaty has not been published by those responsible for it, that neither A.Khatisian (the head of the Armenian delegation that signed the Treaty), nor S.Vratzian (the head of the Armenian Government at the time), who have both written voluminous histories of the Armenian Republic, embody the text of the Treaty in their books (p. 74). Article 3 of the Treaty states: "As it is evident from Turkish, Russian and all other world statistics, and from the established social situation, we again, on this occasion, confirm that there is no territory within the Ottoman borders where the Armenians form a majority" (pp.74-75). Article 9 said that the Government of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey refrained from demanding indemnities although it had a "right to demand indemnities as a result of the war against Armenia which it has been compelled to wage." Article 11 declared the Sevres Treaty "null and void." The same article stipulated that the Armenian Government undertook ''to withdraw its delegations in Europe and America, that are tools in the hands of certain imperialistic governments and circles." Article 15 mentioned that the Armenian Republic agreed "to con-sider as null and void all those stipula-tions of treaties she has signed with any power, which relate to Turkey and are against the interests of Turkey" (p. 77).

The Bolsheviks entered Armenia without any resistance. This was the decision of the Dashnags. They were driven out of authority in the new Soviet Armenian Republic (p.49). But they could not reconcile themselves to the idea of being out of power. On February 18, 1921, a rebellion under the leadership of Simon Vratzian broke out in Armenia against the Bolsheviks when the Bolshevik forces were temporarily driven out of Armenia. Not sure of his own ability to hold out against them, he "sought military assistance from the Turks" (p. 50). On March 18, 1921, he sent to Ankara a formal appeal asking the Tur-kish Government whether it "finds it possible to send military aid to, Arme-nia; and if able to do so, to what extent and when?" (p.50-51). Papazian gives the complete text of this appeal by Vratzian as Appendix V in his book (pp 77-78). Papazian significantly points out that the "appeal of Vratzian as the president of the newly formed Armenian Government was virtually the ratification of the Treaty of Alexandropol, by which the Dashnag leaders declared to the whole world that Armenia has denounced all her demands on Turkey and has no more cause of dispute" (p.51). Coming back to the armed conflict with the Soviets, "there was much bloodshed, until the Dashnags were again defeated by the Bolsheviks and driven out of the country."

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Papazian, on the other hand, states that the newly--formed Armenia on the Caucasus "was really the beginning of a political future for the Armenian people" (p.54). The criticism leveled by the Dashnags at Soviet Armenia that "it is not independent, and that it is not a national government, have, according to Papazian, "no ground to stand upon'' (p.55). He recalls: "The Dashnags themselves, while they were at the helm, tried to place Armenia under the protection of some great power...Armenia has now secured its political existence..as one of the federated republics."

Papazian devotes several pages (pp.60-65, 71-73) to the Dashnagt-zoutune attempts to terrorize the Ar-menian church and the diaspora into submission. He mentions a number of acts of violence, including assaults and even murders, in the United States, Egypt, Syria and Greece. He compares their language, mentality and actions to those of the Mafia and the underworld gangsters (p. 64, 67). He concludes:" Its hands are raised against everybody, its plots and crimes have rocked the conscience of all decent Armenians, and have disgraced our people before the civilized world" (p. 67).

part 1