1995_10 Hye Sharzhoom Newspaper October 1995

              6-News
Hye Sharzhoom
October 1995
Karabagh Issue Perspective
Book Review
By Barlow Der Mugrdechian
The Caucasian Knot: The History
and Geo-politics of Nagorno-
Karabagh. Levon Chorbajian,
Patrick Donabedian, and Claude
Mutafian. London: Zed Books,
1994. 198 pp.
The Karabagh issue has been a
significant factor in the tumultuous
changes which have occurred in
the Caucasus over the last seven
years. Books which present a history of those events and which can
illuminate the motivations of the
participants are a welcome addition to the discussion.
The book in review is a translation of the original French version he Karabagh: Une terre
armenienne en Azerbaijan by
Patrick Donabedian and Claude
Mutafian (1989). It later appeared
as Artsakh: Histoire du Karabagh
(1991) in an expanded and updated
volume.
The essence of this volume is
an examination of the dispute between Mountainous Karabagh and
Azerbaijan, especially as it relates
to the events which have exploded
in the region since 1988. Those
events include a war by Azerbaijan
to deport the Armenian population
of Karabagh.
As Gerard Chaliand states in
the preface, it is two principles underlying international law in the
contemporary world, the inviolability of frontiers and the right to
self-determination, that are often
in contradiction. Those principles
have been violated in the conflict
and it is useful to examine the reasons behind the actions.
Chaliand outlines the main
points involved in the war in
Karabagh, as well as discussing the
major phases in the struggle for
independence taking place there.
Moscow's role in the conflict, both
historical and current^ is emphasized.
Levon Chorbajian, a former
Fulbright scholar who lived in Armenia, 1986-1987, introduces the
English language edition.
Chorbajian sets the stage for the
history to follow by pointing out
the historical events which preceded
the conflict. Chorbajian analyzes
the arguments which Azerbaijan
utilizes to continue their claim on
Karabagh. Politics, the economy of
the region, religion, and the involvement of foreign powers are
all analyzed by Chorbajian based
on his knowledge of the region.
Patrick Donabedian presents
the history of Karabagh from antiquity to the twentieth century. He
carefully examines the history of
the area, its demographics, and its
Armenian nature. Historical evidence from neighboring empires,
as well as information supplied by
Armenian historians point to the
presence of Armenians in the area
from a very early period. The numerous churches, monasteries, and
religious monuments which dominate the landscape are ample evidence of the Armenian culture and
are powerful proof of the Armenian Christian nature of Karabagh.
Later in Karabagh's history,
the Armenian meliks(phnces) were
able for the most part to fight for
and the preserve Armenian autonomy in the area in the face of
constant aggression from neighboring empires.
Claude Mutafian continues the
historical narrative with a description of nineteenth and twentieth
century Karabagh, especially encompassing the period of the Russian empire. The cultural capital of
Karabagh was Shushi, which at the
turn of the century had nineteen
Armenian newspapers, and the third
highest population of Armenians
in the Caucasus.
Mutafian describes the critical
period of 1915-1921 when the fate
of Karabagh was sealed. Stalin's
decision to assign Karabagh to
Azerbaijan in July of 1921 was the
final blow in the initial struggle of
Karabagh.
Mutafian clearly outlines the
attempts by Karabagh Armenians
to change the situtation in the period of 1921-1988. There were numerous attempts at reunification of
Karabagh to Armenia beginning in
the 1920's and intensifying in the
1960's, all without significant results. The struggle for independence
culminated in September of 1991
with the declaration of the Independent Republic of Karabagh.
The book ends with events in
the year 1990 and the changes which
Armenia was undergoing on the
path to its independence.
Fourteen appendices include
pertinent archival material dealing
with the Karabagh issue. Such items
as letters and and resolutions by the
Karabagh Armenians ot the Supreme Soviet are reproduced.
The Caucasian Knot is and
interesting book which although
does not add much new material to
the available corpus of knowledge
on Karabagh does present a coherent view of the events which shaped
the conflict in Karabagh.H
1995 Summer Internship Armenian Assembly Washington D.C. Ara Jabaghchourian, back row;
Jennifer Peters, second row center
INTERNS, from p.2
ian Aid Corridor Act. The Assembly is really the only organization
that does work on Armenian issues
at the federal level and gets positive results.
To those of you considering an
internship in our nations capital, do
it through the Assembly. You will
make some very close friends in a
short allotment of time. The As
sembly always encouraged us, but
didn't impose us, to participate in
many unforgettable events and activities. It gave me the opportunity
to see D.C. and the right-wing coalition with my own eyes, and let me
tell you they are just as idiotic in
person as they are on television. If
you have the time and the cash,
apply for the program for the upcoming summer. If you are a little
late in being able to particpate in
the internship program, the Assembly could always use a couple of
bucks to keep its operations going.
If you have any question pertaining
to the internship program or about
the Assembly itself, their address
is:
Armenian Assembly of
America
122 C Street,N.W. Suite 350
Washington, DC 20001
BOOKS, from p.4
Holy Saviour Armenian
Hospital, [in Armenian],
Istanbul, 1994. 533
double column, large
format pages, illustrated.
Kezerian, Nephi K and LaPreal,
Genealogy for Armenians, Provo, Utah,
1995. A most useful
guide on how to prepare
a genealogy and
directory of original
archives on Armenian
births and deaths all
over the world from the
«  seventeenth century to
'    the present. Available
through the Armenian
Genealogical Society, P.
O. Box 1383, Provo,
Utah 84603.
Manoukian, Archbishop Artak,
The Bible [in Armenian], Tehran, 1995,179
pages. A discussion of
the history of the
Armenian Bible from
manuscript to the
earliest editions.
Mutafian, Claude, Un apergu sur
le Genocide des
Armenienes, Paris:
Comit6 pour la
Commemoration du 24
Avril 1915,1995,
pamphlet, 31 pages,
maps.
Parlakian, Nishan, Grandma,
Pray for Me, An
Original Play,
Whitestone, NY:
Griffon House, 1990.
Parlakian, Raphael, One Hundred
and One Nights, A
Philospher-Poet' s
Commentary on Life and
Art, N.Y.: Harbinger
House, 1943, donated by
Nishan Parlakian.
Sarafian, Ara, editor, United
States Official Documents on the Armenian
Genocide, vol. Ill, The
Central Lands, with an
introduction,
Watertown: Armenian
Review, 1995,157
pages.
Vickery, BessT*., Mount Holyoke
Courageous. A Call to
the Near East, N.Y.:
Carlton Press, 1994,224
pages. A history of
missionaries to Armenia
from Mount Holyhoke
College. Available
through Carlton Press,
11 W. 32nd, NYC
10001
Journals, Reviews, Articles
Altounian, Janine, "Porter le nom
d'ancetres clandestins
(Trauma d'un genocide
"secret" chez les
descendants des
survivants armeniens),"
Lignes, no. 25, May
1995, pp. 146-158.
Assenileau, Roger, "William
Saroyan, Walt Whitman
et la ponctuation,"
Etudes anglaises, Paris.
Genocide & Human Rights, a
special issue, Journal of
Armenian Studies, vol.
IV, nos. 1 and 2 (1992,
pub. 1994), with an    "
article by Dickran
Kouymjian, "The
Genocide and Armenian
Political Violence:
Attitudes of Armenian
Militants to the Genocide," pp. 187-198.
Journal of the Association of
Armenian Information
Professionals, vol. 2, no.
1 (January 1995),
available through the
editor, Lola
Koundakjian, 282
Cabrini Blvd. #6C, NY,
NY 10040.
Shirinyan, Manja Sergeevna,
"Richerche sulla storia
ecclesiastica de Socrate
scolastico e sulle sue
versioni Armene,"
Annali di Ca' Foscari,
University of Venice,
fol. XXXIII/3 (1994),
pp. 151-167.
Stone, Michael E., "The Album
Armenian Paleography,"
Gazette du Livre
Medieval, no. 26 (1995),
pp. 8-17.
UluhogVn, Gabriella, "II Card.
Mezzofanti tra Armeno
e Armeni," La
Benedizione di Babele,
ed. G. R. Franci,
Bologna, 1991, pp. 137-
150.
Varak, vol. 41, nos. 123-124
(Jan.-Dec. 1994). H
Special Thanks to
ANNUAL FUND
DONORS
as of 10/1/95
Armenian-American Citizens'
League
Mr. & Mrs. John Bedeian
The Chevron Companies
Mr. Vagharshag H. Danielian
Daughters of Vartan, Fresno
Mrs. Harper Gabrielson
Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth Halgren
Dr. Robert H. Hewsen
Mr. Richard Kalashian
Mrs. Helene C. Majarian
Mr. Onnic Marashian
Mr.& Mrs. Vane Meghrouni
Mr. & Mrs. Gar Tootelian