OUR STATE IS THE SUCCESSOR OF ARMENIA’S FIRST REPUBLIC – MAY 28 IN THE EYES OF HISTORIAN AND LITERARY CRITIC
10:47 * 28.05.14
The First Republic of Armenia was proclaimed on May 28, 1918 following
the heroic battles of Sardarapat, Bash Aparan and Gharakilisa.
Ninety-six years ago today, the Armenian National Council of Tiflis
(today’s Tbilisi) adopted a declaration that laid the foundation of the
independent statehood. “In view of the complete political collapse of
the Trans-Caucasus and the new situation created by the proclamation
of the independence of Georgia and Azerbaijan, the Armenian National
Council declares itself the supreme and sole administration of the
Armenian provinces. Due to certain grave circumstances that prevent us
from forming an Armenian National Government, the Armenian National
Council temporarily assumes all governmental functions in order to
pilot the political and administrative leadership of the Armenian
provinces,” read the document.
Though the First Republic had a very short life – only 2.5 years –
its influence spread even on the third republic, says Professor Petros
Hovhannisyan, the head of the Yerevan State University’s History
Chair. “If some people think that it didn’t leave any trace at all
on Soviet Armenia, they are sadly mistaken. I will say the simplest
thing. The Yerevan State University was founded through the First
Republic’s efforts, but it continued its activities in Soviet Armenia
as well, with the same professors and students; the only thing that
changed was the regime. The army corps was among the key achievements
of the first Republic, and that institute was transferred to Soviet
Armenia. And the present-day Third Republic inherited very many things
from it,” he noted.
The historian said it is important to develop an understanding of
statehood, a feature which he said is not characteristic of all
the nations.
Asked what caused the First Republic to have such a short life,
and whether there were any mistakes that could have been avoided,
Hovhannisyan noted that Armenia’s future was not in its own hands at
the time. “[Armenia’s] fate was being determined in Moscow. Russia was
enjoying a period of upsurge at the time, after winning the domestic
anti-revolutionists and restoring its borders. Caucasus was very
important for it, because the oil of Baku was here. That oil was life,
technology and science. Armenia’s chances of survival were very little,
so the country’s fate was determined regardless of Yerevan’s desire,”
he added.
Comparing the period with the present-day geopolitical arrangements,
the historian noted further that Armenia’s economic dependence on
Russia remains very big today, with the Russian army’s presence
testifying to a considerably high level of influence. “The army is
a strait jacket on the one hand, but it isn’t of course good that we
have another country’s army in our country. It is the worst thing that
affects independence, but I don’t think any other option is possible
to find today,” he said.
Commenting on the message of the day, Vardan Devrikyan, a writer,
journalist and a deputy director of the National Academy’s Institute
of Literature, said both the first and third republics came into
existence for reasons not absolutely depending on Armenia (the Russian
Empire’s downfall in the former case and the collapse of the USSR
in the latter). “As Simon Vratsyan, the first republic’s last prime
minister, said on one occasion, ‘the First Republic’s birth was like
the birth of a baby nobody waited for or desired’. We just came face
to face with a fact, so the situation required self-organization and
a commitment to the country’s self-defense,” he noted.
Drawing parallels between the first and third republics, Devrikyan
stressed the importance of learning lessons from history to never
repeat the mistakes of the past. “The First Republic’s history has
to be studied not only as a history of past but also as a right
orientation to help avoid the same mistakes. I just want to mention
that both states were born in a period of war, and this, of course,
produced its aftermath. Times can be said to be changing, with
the challenges facing our people remaining the same. But the most
important thing is that our people were able to taste the sweetness
of independence,” he added.
Devrikyan refrained from any remarks on the country’s current
political situation. “I don’t want to address Armenia’s present-day
domestic political situation. The First Republic was the parliamentary
Armenia which didn’t have a powerful president. To say what lessons
the authorities should learn is a little bit wrong approach, because
the authorities change; it is the society that forms the state. So
instead of politicizing the issue, it is important for us to develop
a collective understanding,” he explained.