GAREGIN NZHDEH – SELECTED WORKS IN ENGLISH
by Antranig Bedrossian
Sep 20, 2011
The following is the Introduction to the Book Selected Works of
Garegin Nzhdeh
President of ‘Nakhijevan’ Institute of Canada, Montrea, 10 September
2011
[AntranigB.jpg] These Selected Works of Garegin Nzhdeh have been chosen
for an English translation for the first time. The texts represent his
thoughts as well as his political and philosophical approaches. They
cover the period from the early 1920s till his prison writings, in a
Soviet prison camp, in the mid-’50s. They also include an interview
(1943) with Nzhdeh by “Razmik” newspaper of Sofia and a testimony by
Nzhdeh. A chronological survey of his life and work, bibliographical
sources and a glossary of place names complete this volume.
The selected writings reflect the evolution of his thoughts shaped by
the turbulent political events and the intense ideological battles
that characterized most of the 20th century in the Armenian and
international political scene. The Armenian national liberation
struggle of late 19th and early 20th centuries, the worldview of the
Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutiun), the struggle
for survival of the First Republic of Armenia, and subsequently,
its forced partition and sovietization had their impact upon the
development of his political thinking and philosophy. Nzhdeh witnessed
the collapse of the Ottoman Turkish and Tsarist Russian Empires,
faced the destruction and the dispossession of Western Armenians
during the First World War. He participated in the struggle for the
independence and territorial unity of the first Republic of Armenia,
and saw its forced partition, sovietization and its incorporation
into the Soviet Union. Finally, as part of the Diaspora, he joined
the struggle for national survival, experienced the Second World
War and always focused on Armenia’s preservation and territorial
unity. His fame was kept alive in the popular memory of Armenia,
despite the prohibition of his name during the Soviet era (1921-1990).
Nzhdeh possessed a strong personality and embodied three prominent
talents: that of an orator, military strategist and philosopher.
These attributes made him one of the outstanding Armenian political
and military leaders of the first half of the 20th century. His
political and intellectual achievements acquired significance, his
legacy spreading during his lifetime and after.
As a political and military leader, Nzhdeh played an important
role in shaping the outcome of some of these events of modern
Armenian history. He played a major role in organizing and leading
the Armenian forces into reversing the trend in the battle of
[Nzdeh.jpg] Gharakilisa in 1918, which became pivotal along with
the decisive battles of Sardarabad and Bash-Abaran fought against
the Ottoman Turkish army (Hambardzumian, 2005). The victorious
struggle for Zangezur (1920 to 1921) under his leadership against
the combined forces of the Red Army and Turco-Tatar reinforcements,
secured for Armenia her southern territories in Siunik (Zangezur),
bordering Iran thus creating a wedge between Turco-Tatars of eastern
South Caucasus (subsequently identified as Azerbaijanis) and Turks of
Turkey (Lernahayastani goyamarte, “Mountainous Armenia: the Battle
for Survival”, 1923). His organization of the National Covenant
(“Tseghakron”) movement, which constituted later the basis of the
founding of the Armenian Youth Federation of the United States and
Canada, affiliated with the A.R.F., prevented the assimilation of
thousands of Armenian youth.
According to R. Hampardzumian (2007), the texts point to his ideology:
Christian Armenianism whose self-defence system focuses on David Bek’s,
St.Vartan’s and the Mamikonian Covenant, revived by him in the ’20s
and the ’30s.
In this volume Nzhdeh raises many political, strategic, historical
and social issues pertaining to the Armenian people in particular
and to international developments in general. His Prison Writings and
Self-Testimony reflect the culmination of his thoughts, reinforced by
his experience. The selected texts also indicate Nzhdeh’s acquaintance
with his contemporary European political, military and philosophical
currents of thought. Certainly, Nzhdeh approaches many of these issues
with clear perspective of his own and formulation.
The debate between spiritualism and materialism; the role of the state
in politics; the relationship between the individual, the nation and
the state; the role of history, culture and ancestral territory in
nation-building; the value of social justice in human societies; the
interrelationship between national and universal values; the role of
intellectual, spiritual and military elites in shaping the national
life of peoples are issues discussed by Nzhdeh.
They are all relevant today. Indeed, today the debate around these
issues is conducted within the interwoven and multifaceted relations
of the world and within the parameters of new theoretical approaches
and empirical results.
The strengths and weaknesses of the Armenian people; education,
self-knowledge and the spiritual renewal of Armenian generations;
unity among various Armenian currents of thought; the emancipation of
the Armenian homeland forcefully incorporated into the Republic of
Turkey (Western Armenia) are also issues addressed by Nzhdeh. These
also are presently part of the discussion agenda among Armenians,
albeit, under more complex objective and subjective conditions.
Moreover, his thoughtful and realistic analysis of Armenia’s strategic
priorities and security threats has a contemporary significance in
light of recent geopolitical transformations in the South Caucasus.
His philosophical inclination is best reflected in his aphorisms,
characterized by its fragmented, but deeply reasoned style.
Nzhdeh’s style is fragmentary, but his reasoning is powerful and
complete. Few, very few people speak, write or act with “blood and
vein”. His writings are the psychological features of a distinctively
temperamental and powerful individuality, which are remarkable for
their unique style and pious qualities of expressed ideas and truths
(Hayk Asatrian, philosopher and one of his closest companions-in-arm).
The texts reveal a talented writer, who with newly-coined words and
with new styles of representing them, enriched the Armenian language.
“His colourful thinking reminds us of Yeghisheh, the 5th century
Armenian historian; the mystic Grigor Naregatsi among ancient
writers; Hakob Oshakan and Avetis Aharonian, among modern
writers”(Hambardzumian, 2007).
Aphorisms of Nzhdeh preserve a value of reflection for the
new generations of Armenians and inspire them with patriotism,
self-knowledge, self-confidence and self-reliance. By singling out
a few of them, their contemporary relevance can be seen outright:
“History, it is not an unfinished novel but an unfinished battle.”
What an eloquent way to prepare the Armenian long-term struggle for
the recovery of the lost homeland!
“The more socially just, the more powerful is the fatherland.” Here
isa guiding idea upon which to anchor the state-building processes
of post-soviet Republic of Armenia and Artsakh!
“Sword or pen? As one as well as the other – both I liked and used.
But I appeared before an alternative and I had to choose the first
because there are times when to advance, pen, word, truth need a
sword. I like the pen, which at the same time is a sword that knows how
to raise thousand arms with swords to defend justice.” This resumes
Nzhdeh’s life, but it also describes the hard and complementary
choices facing the Armenian people in their historical journey to
their homeland.
Finally, this publication of Selective Works of Garegin Nzhdeh make
available to scholars, researchers, students and general readers the
political, military and philosophical reflections of a great 20th
century Armenian patriot, while paving the way for further studies
into his worldview and his relevance to posterity. Comparative links
between European political, military and philosophical currents of
thought and his approaches can be explored further.
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To obtain a copy of Selected Works of Garegin Nzhdeh contact Antranig
Bedrossian at [email protected] The Cost is Can. $ 22.00 plus
shipping and handling
http://www.keghart.com/Bedrossian-Nzhdeh