3332) A Monument To The 1918 Battle Of Bash Aparan

Updated 9 Dec 2011

A monument to the 1918 Battle of Bash Aparan[1], at which the Armenians repelled a force of Ottoman soldiers (Aparan, Armenia, built 1979)

Photograph: Frédéric Chaubin. 

[1] The Battle of Bash Abaran (Armenian: Բաշ Աբարանի ճակատամարտ Bash Abarani chakatamart, Turkish: Baş-Abaran Muharebesi) was a battle of Caucasus Campaign of World War I that took place in the vicinity of Bash Abaran, in 1918. 

The Ottoman divisions attacked on May 21, but after three days of fierce combat the Armenians remained firm and the Ottoman regiments retreated in defeat . . .

Armenian forces headed by Drastamat Kanayan with the support of forces of Movses Silikyan, fought against the 3rd Regiment of the 11th Caucasian Division and then launched a counter-attack against the Ottomans in May 25.

And then Drastamat Kanayan's forces, with also the support of Movses Silikyan's infantry, drew back the Ottomans to the north of Bas-Abaran on May 29. 

The victory here, as well as at Sardarapat and Karakilisa, were instrumental in allowing the Democratic Republic of Armenia to come into existence.

See also: Armenian Sources
Source: Mavi Boncuk

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Comment:

The all-time backbone of Dashnakist bragging, is the inconsistency of events by logic and other contradictions. This article is another excellent example. While on one side Armenians claimed that “they were all peaceful people but the Ottomans decided to annihilate all of them suddenly and killed 1.5 millions during relocations”, on the other side they contradict themselves with victories and monuments exaggerating battles of Turco-Armenian wars!

Let us see the untold portion of the diverted history. I am using excerpts from my book “The Genocide of Truth Continues… But Facts Tell the Real Story” (ISBN 978-605-5500-07-08) with excerpts from Akaby Nassibian’s Book “Britain and the Armenian Question”. London 1984.

P. 3 According to the official Turkish statistics there were only 1.300.000 Armenians in the whole Empire of whom 628.000 lived in the ‘six vilayets’ or provinces. On the other hand, in 1912 the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople gave the number of 2.100.000. There was 1.018.000 Armenians in the six vilayets forming 38.9% of the population.

- Comment:

There is a variety of numbers on the population of Armenians within the Ottoman Empire, in 1914! Above estimate coincides with the census made by French-Armenian Land Distribution Committee dated 1.3.1914 where population is counted as 1.280.000, and less then 600.000 living in the 6-Vilayets where Autonomy was to be put into force. National Geographic also estimated total Armenian population in the area, including Russia and Persia as 2 millions, which complies with the estimate of a total maximum 1.4 millions, minimum 600.000 of which were in the 6-vilayets. The number 1.018.000 in 6-vilayets is an inflated number to show high population to deserve more land and contradicts the report dated 1.3.1914 prepared by Armenians themselves!

Below excerpt can be read also in posting # 3124, on pos.4, or p.56 of Nassibian’s book:

P.56: The Committee, however, was soon disappointed. In Russia, under the influence of revolutionary ideas, the Russian armies were fast being dissolved. Turkey, making use of this golden opportunity, began concentrating its armies on the Caucasian front. The condition of the Eastern Armenians now looked absolutely critical. The secret Sykes-Picot Agreement made between Britain, France and Russia had covered Greater and Lesser Armenia. But the new Bolshevik government denounced agreements and disclaimed annexations. In the Caucasus issues gradually became confused and prospects bleak with the advance of Turkish troops. Early in 1918 there was great uncertainty about conditions in Armenia.

- (The author skips an important segment of history. On May 28, 1918 Armenia broke away from SEYM and declared independence; but on June 4, 1918 made a series of treaties at Batum with Turks, exchanging prisoners and extending most favored country terms reciprocally. The New Democratic Republic of Armenia thus entered under the protection of the Ottoman Empire. Katchaznuni sent A. Khatissov and A. Aharomian to Istanbul. They arrived on June 19th, to see and thank the Sultan. They were received on Sept .6th and they sent a telegram to Katchaznuni on Sept. 9th, praising the warm reception by the Sultan. However, one month after the Ottomans’ surrender on 30.10.1918 at Mudros, and exactly on 30th November, Armenia unilaterally broke the treaty, attacked Oltu – Ardahan, and Kars with the permission of British army in Iran. By February 1919, Aharonian and Nubar, were asking half of Asia Minor at the Paris Conference in return to their services to Allies, in Europe, Caucasus and Palestine! The Batum Treaty was ratified by the Armenian Government at that time in continuation of Brest-Litovsk (3.3.1918) Russian-German-Ottoman treaty. Present borders asserted at that time were repeated at Gumru, later in Moscow and finally Kars Treaties. Armenia forgets the Batum Treaties and revokes all signed treaties at the “first suitable moment”!)

Conclusion: (Generals ?) Antranik and Dro, did not abide by the Treaty signed by their official attorneys in Batum, whereby the new Dashnakist Republic was taken under Ottoman protection on June 4, 1918 while “fedayees-volunteers” were butchering all Moslems in the Eastern areas where there were no Turkish Army! The Ottoman Army entered Nakchevan on July 20, and Baku on Sept. 15, 1918. Both generals went into hide, until they came back after the Mudros Treaty of Oct.30,1918 whereby Ottoman Forces laid arms and pulled back from these lands conform the ceasefire. But Armenians were to take arms again with the permission of British in Persia and attack – take Ardahan and Oltu region, in spite of the Brest-Litovsk Treaty of 3.3.1918 and the above Batum Treaty. (Later Antranik escaped to USA, Dro Kanajan to Roumania, until he founded the Armenian Legion (22.000) for Hitler during WWII)

Is this a monument for victory or covering up so many duplicities? Let the readers’ judge!

Regards

Sukru S. Aya
9 Dec 2011

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