1986_04 Hye Sharzhoom Newspaper April 1986

              April, 1986
Hye Sharzhoom
Page 5
The Heroic Stance of Van
Jack Karapetian
Contributing Writer
A shining example of a people's resolve for self-
defense. A bastion of courage and sacrifice. A Herculean
struggle for survival. Van is the unending echo of
Avarair, and the clarion call for Sardarabad. Van is not a
mere city, but the spirit of Armenia of the past, of the
present, and of the future. Van is the embodiment of
man's resilience, self-discipline, and of supreme leadership. If the motto "One for all and all for one" were ever
true, Van is the epitome of that truth. Van was always the
source, the cradle of Armenia. In a sense, every
Armenian is of Van. And every Armenian fought and
died and survived in the month long heroic stance of
Vaspurakan.
Van was not alone in this struggle. During the perilous
months of 1915 when the Ittihadist regime was implementing its genocidal plans in Shabin Karahisar, in Musa
Dagh, in Sassun, in Zeitun, in Urfa and elsewhere,
Armenians resisted the sweeping slaughter and death
marches, defying the might of the Ottoman forces. These
were defensive battles, often hopeless, for self-preservation. They were not indications of an Armenian
revolution against the Ottoman Empire. These were
battles fought by men and women and ch'tdrey with
antiquated weapons and bare arms, and above all, with
the resolution of the free. And they all, with the
exception of defenders.of Van, Musa Dagh and Sassun,
fell as martyrs. These are the unsung heroes of the
Armenian pantheon. We remember them. We salute
them.
Armenians were always loyal subjects of the Ottoman
Empire. They were instrumental in boosting the country's
economy, commerce, crafts and culture. They served as
faithful diplomats and government functionaries. All
they wanted were national-cultural autonomy and an end
to violence and excessive measures forced upon them by
local administrations. Even the Reform of February,
1914, which was never enforced, was devoid of any
political aspirations. Yet, even before the outbreak of
World War I, the "Young Turk"Triumvirate had already
schemed the annihilation of the Armenian population.
International archives, including those of the Ottoman
Turkey, are full of documents attesting to this fact. Many
writers and historians, such as Britishers Bryce an.<j.
Toynbee, French Pinon, German Lepsius, Americans
Morgenthau, Gibbons, and Hovannisian, have persisted
that the Genocide was premeditated and systematically
executed.
In the view of the heroic defense of Van, Shabin
Karahisar, Musa Dagh, Taron and Urfa, one can
emphatically state that had the Armenian national
revolutionary organizations been aware of the Turkish
diabolical plans of mass extermination, there would have
been a general organized resistance, culminating not only
in the saving of the Armenian population from the
holocaust, but perhaps leading to the liberation of
Western Armenia. For in each instance of self-defence,
the Armenian fighter proved to be extremely motivated,
resourceful and brave, often single-handedly fighting
against lines of Turkish regular troops.
Van was the triumph amidst the gathering darkness.
Van was the spark that ignited the battles of Sardarabad, Karakilisa and Bash Abaran—the road toward
the independence of Armenia.
By April, 1915, the Ittihadist regime had already put in
action its macabre plan of genocide. The goal was the
ultimate realization of a Pan-Turanic empire, stretching
from Asia Minor to Central Asia, encompassing the
Caucasus, with no Armenian element in the ocean of the
Turkic race. Historian Richard Hovannisian puts it
more explicitly: "Nationalism as understood by the
'Young Turks' on the eve of the World War necessitated
the Turkification'ofall elements of the Empire. As long
as there were Armenians, foreign intervention, as
experienced during the latest episode of the reform
question, would pose a constant threat to the sovereignty
of Turkey. Moreover, eradication of the Christian
Armenian element from Anatolia and the eastern
provinces would remove the major racial barrier between
the Turkic peoples of the Ottoman Empire, Transcaucasia
and Transcaspia. Enver's dream of a Pan-Turanic
empire would be a step closer to realization."
In 1914, at the Eighth General Congress of Dashnak-
tsutiun convening in Erzerum, the party pledged full
cooperation with the Ottoman government to avoid war.
Furthermore, it decided to take a neutral position in case
of an outbreak of armed conflict between Russia and
Turkey. The Armenians fullfilled their promise. During
the period prior to the massacres, they met every
obligation of Ottoman citizenship. The revolutionary
organizations and the Patriarch urged the Turkish
Armenians to stay calm and to maintain their loyalty to
the government. Even Enver himself acknowledged the
bravery of Armenian soldiers at the battle of Sarikamish.
Yet, even during the mobilization of the fall and winter
the plunder of the Armenian population had already
begun. In the Vaspurakan province the Armenian
villages were burned, properties destroyed, livestock
confiscated, and people stripped of their bare necessities.
Violence was rampant. Armenian soldiers in the
Turkish army were deprived of their arms and were sent
to digging trenches half-starved and demoralized. Jevdet
Bey, vali of Van and brother-in-law ol" Enver, had
ordered the destruction of Armenian villages, thus
isolating Van for a swift and final blow.
As a result of mass deportations throughout the
country and massacres in Cilicia, the Van Armenians
began preparations for defense. Led by Aram Manukian,
Ishkhan and Arshak Vramian, a member of the Ottoman
parliament, the Armenians dug trenches, built barricades
and began manufacturing crude ammunition. Defensive
posts were assigned at strategic points around the
besieged city. Jevdet's demand of 4,000 Armenian
soldiers was rejected after hostilities broke out in the
Shatakh region between Armenian villagers and Turkish
forces. On April 4, Jevdet invited the Armenian leaders
to consult with him on restoring peace between feuding
Moslems and Christians in Tagh village. Responding to
Jevdet's plea, Ishkhan proceeded to his peace mission.
He was, however, seized by Jevdet's troops. Vramian was
imprisoned and eventually killed.
On April 7, the Turkish soldiers tried to abduct some of
the Armenian village women who were seeking haven in
Van. When two Armenian soldiers interfered, they were
shot and killed on the spot. Suddenly, the Turkish
entrenchments opened fire. The Armenian defenders
responded to the fire—thus began the battle of Van. The
Aigestan defense line was comprised of seven military
positions with 73 posts. The Armenian force consisted of
only 1053 riflemen possessing 505 rifles, 75,000 bullets
and 550 pistols. They were to defend Van against 6,000
Turkish forces with unlimited ammunition and 12
cannons. As the battle intensified the number of Jevdet's
troops doubled. In addition there were Turkish and
Kurdish armed mobs, getting ready for pillage.
The spirit of Van was Aram Manukian, head of the
Military Council, an Armenian Garibaldi, who not only
masterminded the defense plans, but also rushed from
trench to trench, fighting and inspiring the Armenian
freedom fighters. Manukian was assisted by a number of
Dashnaktsakan revolutionaries and seasoned haiduks,
such as Kaytzak Arakel, Boulgaratzi Grigor and Armenak
Yekarian—each a legend of a man, resolute, and
experienced, leading the Armenians to one of the most
obdurate resistances of modern history.
The month long battle of Van signifies the will of a
people fighting for survival, for human dignity and
human rights. There was no single hero. Each inhabitant
of Van was a hero—the leaders, the soldiers, the men and
women, and the children. Each deed was a superhuman
task in the midst of the most adverse conditions. And yet
there was order and discipline in the enveloping chaos:
men fighting and making bullets and cartridges, women
supplying food and water, boys and children taking
messages back and forth between the defensive posts,
non-combatants digging new trenches and building new
fortifications. Various committees were formed to take
care of communications, sanitation, food and ammunition
supplies. The Armenian Red Cross women and girls
tended to the wounded. A veritable nucleus for self-
government was established. Even a military band was
formed to boost the morale of the people.
The defense of Van was one of the most well-organized
of the Armenian resistance efforts. Aram Manukian's
spirit touched everyone. His military genuis proved to be
the difference between victory and defeat. And in a larger
sense, every Vanetsi was a leader, conscious of his or her
fate and the fate of Van. Turkish cannons kept roaring
day and night and pounding the Armenian defense lines.
Every time the enemy advanced, it was repulsed by the
iron stand of a handful of fedayees. Each time a soldier
.fell, someone else took his place. It was a matter of life
and death. Vaspurakan had decided to endure and
prevail. Paradoxically, as the battle raged on and
Jevdet's forces doubled their strength, the Armenians
became more determined. Each bullet had a target.
Self-discipline was the order throughout the ordeal.
Self-defense of Vaspurakan is a classical example of
guerrilla war tactics combined with army warfare strategy,
executed with utmost precision and daring.   The most
decisive battle of Van was unleashed on April 21. For
hours the Turkish cannon balls and shrapnel pounded
the city, demolishing houses, churches, and destroying
almost all Armenian positions. The intense cannonading
was followed by a general assault of Turkish regular army
accompanied by frenzied mobs and armed hordes. The
Armenian communication lines were cut, each platoon
became an isolated unit. For the first time the restriction
order of ammunition was lifted. The battle raged on for
hours. Wave after wave the Turkish forces engulfed the
defensive lines and in each instance the attackers were
replused. Some enemy troops climbed into the Armenian
trenches and engaged in hand-to-hand fighting. Aram
Manukian was in his element. Like a soaring eagle he
reached here and there, fighting along the crumpling
posts and setting an example for the rest. Some of the
advanced posts exchanged hands a few times, but the
main defense line remained intact. In the end, facing the
invincible Armenian stand, the Turkish forces
retreated, leaving behind their dead and wounded.
It was not the end.
After a week of relatively low-keyed fighting, on April
28, Jevdet Bey mounted another all-out fierce attack. But
the backbone of the Turkish army had already been
broken. The enemy fled, leaving behind a considerable
amount of arms and ammunition. -From that day on the
fighting subsided in scope and intensity. The Russian
army and four Armenian volunteer battalions were
approaching Van.
May 3 was the last day of the battle. That afternoon
the Turkish cannons suddenly went dead. Jevdet retreated
from Van. The insurgents took over tfte city, setting fire
to the Turkish garrisons and other military installations.
The defenders of the inner city smashed the gates of Van's
notorious prison only to find death and destruction.
Jevdet's men had slaughtered 180 young Armenians. The
prison had been the death chamber for many Hnchakist,
Armenakan, Ramkavar, Dashnaktsakan leaders, intellectuals and revolutionaries.
May 4 became a day of rejoicing. Defenders of the
inner city and Aigestan once again were rejoined after a
month of complete separation. The Armenian tricolor
was hoisted above the Mijnabert citadel. Thus Vaspurakan, the cradle of Armenian nationhood, was
liberated. On May 5, the first unit of Armenian
volunteers, led by Khecho, arrived in Van, followed by
General Dro's battalions. Next day General Nikolaev's
Russian division reached the already liberated city.
Russian.military authorities appointed Aram Manukian governor of the occupied region. Under Manukian's
governorship order was established in Vaspurakan.
Alas, independence of Van was short-lived. After hardly
70 days of self-government, Russian forces retreated
from Van, ordering more than 200,000 Armenian refugees
and Van inhabitants to follow them toward the Russian
border. Once again the homeless masses took to the
road, fleeing for their lives. Once again all hopes were
blighted. Subsequent events proved that the Romanovs
had no designs for Armenian autonomy and that Russia's
intentions were to annex the Armenian vilayets. The
Russian retreat from Van was part of that scheme.
Regardless of foreign political maneuverings the seed
of Armenia's independence was already sown in Vaspurakan to be "blossomed three years later on May 28,
1918.
The defense of Van was the reaffirmation of a people's
determination to survive and to triumph. It was not a
fatalistic stand. Death was brushed aside. Van wanted to
live, and at the same time each Vanetsi was ready to fight
and die so that the rest would live. Van shattered the
myth of invincibilty of the Ottoman might. Van also
shattered the centuries-old notion that the Armenian is
unable to fight. Despite its military and strategic
superiority, Jevdet's forces could not penetrate the
defensive lines of a handful of Armenian fighters. The
essence of Van's triumph is leadership, resolve and
resourcefulness. It was a battle of Homeric proportions.
Many met a heroic death. Many survived to live a
heroic life.
Van was the beginning. Van was the fiery overture to
independence. Van is the cornerstone of a united
Armenia.  For Van is the heart of Armenia.
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CHOOKASIAN—DORIAN
ENSEMBLE
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(209)276-1777
5336 N. Vernal
Fresno, CA 93711
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(209)222-2058
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