Armenian Revolutionary Federation
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The Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) (Armenian: Hay Heghapokhakan Dashnaktsutiun, Dashnaktsutiun, Dashnak, or Tashnak, Հայ Յեղաբոխական Դաշնակցութիւն) is an Armenian political party founded in Tiflis (Tbilisi in modern day Georgia) in 1890 by Christapor Mikaelian, Stepan Zorian, and Simon Zavarian. The party operates among Armenian communities internationally, especially in Armenia and Lebanon, and in the ethnic Armenian-dominated de facto Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, which declared its independence from Azerbaijan in the 1991, where Armenians fought a three year war against Azerbaijan for the independence. The ARF advocates socialism and is a member of the Socialist International, although the implemenation of Socialist policies have not been consistent.The ARF is the largest political party amongst Armenians in the Diaspora. A member of the ARF is called Dashnaktsagan or Tashnagtsagan in Western Armenian.
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[edit] Origins
- See also: Armenian national liberation movement
The Armenian Revolutionary Federation came into being in 1890 through the merging of various factions of Armenian political groups akin to the ones operating in Russia and Eastern Europe at the time. The original aim was for autonomy of the Armenian-populated areas in the Ottoman Empire. The party began to organize itself in Turkey in the early 1890s and held its first major meeting in Georgia in 1892. At that meeting the party adopted a decentralized modus operandi according to which the various chapters in different countries were allowed to plan and implement policies in tune with their local political atmosphere.
[edit] World War One
- See also: World War I and April 24 circular
In 1915, Dashnak leaders were hanged alongside other Armenian intellectuals [2].
The ARF has maintained its ideological commitment to "a Free, Independent, and United Armenia.", which for the defense of the Armenian people they were become part and leaders of the Van Resistance and later with the great ARF leader Aram Manougian, governor of Administration for Western Armenia, worked for easing the sufferings of Armenians.
At the end of World War I, Young Turks members who were considered as executors of the Armenian Genocide by The Armenian Revolutionary Federation were assassinated.[1]
[edit] Democratic Republic of Armenia
When the first Republic of Armenia (Democratic Republic of Armenia) was proclaimed in 1918, the ARF became the ruling party. Despite their tight grip on power (Drastamat Kanayan (Ministry of Defense) and Aram Manougian (Ministry of Interior)), the ARF was unable to stop the impending Communist invasion from the north, which culminated with a Soviet takeover in 1920. The ARF was banned, its leaders exiled and many of its members dispersed to other parts of the world. The ARF is considered one of the foremost organizations in the Armenian Diaspora, having established numerous Armenian schools, community centers, scouting and athletic groups, relief societies, youth organizations, camps, and other organizations throughout the world.
[edit] Modern history
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| Foundation: | 1890 | |
| Head: | Hrant Markarian | |
[edit] Armenia
The ARF has always maintained its ideological commitment to "a Free, Independent, and United Armenia." The term United Armenia refers to the borders of Armenia that were recognized by U.S. President Woodrow Wilson and outlined in the Treaty of Sèvres.
After Armenia fell under Soviet control in 1920, the ARF, now dispersed throughout the Armenian Diaspora, fought Soviet rule over Armenia and championed the cause of Armenian independence; it played a leading role in organizing a social and cultural framework aimed at preserving the Armenian identity.
When independence was achieved in 1991, the ARF soon became one of the major and most active political parties, tracing behind the Pan-Armenian National Movement (PANM). Consequently, on December 28, 1994 President Levon Ter-Petrossian in a live television speech banned the ARF, which was the nation's leading opposition party, along with Yerkir, the country's largest daily newspaper. Throughout the evening, government security forces arrested leading ARF figures. Police seized computers, fax machines, files and printing equipment from their offices. In addition to Yerkir, government forces also closed several other literary, women's, cultural, and youth publications.[3]
The ban on the party was lifted, however, less than a week after Ter-Petrossian fell from power and was replaced by Robert Kocharian who was backed by the Dashnaks.
Today, the ARF is one of the three parties in the government coalition, along with the Republican Party and United Labor Party. The Country of Law party was also a member of the governing coalition, until it pulled out in May of 2006. With 11 of the 131 seats in the National Assembly of Armenia, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation is the major socialist party in Armenia and the second largest party in parliament.
In addition to its parliamentary seats, the following governmental ministries are also headed by ARF members:
Ministry of Agriculture, Davit Lokian
Ministry of Education and Science, Levon Mkrtchian
Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, Aghvan Vardanian
Ministry of Healthcare, Norair Davidian
[edit] Nagorno-Karabakh
| Nagorno-Karabakh |
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The ARF held 9 of the 33 seats in the National Assembly of Nagorno Karabakh, an ethnic Armenian enclave that was transferred to Soviet Azerbaijan under the leadership of Joseph Stalin in the 1920s [2], and became controlled by Armenian forces in the 1990s. It was the second largest party in Nagorno-Karabakh. Even though it is de-facto independent and has been free of Azeri control since the early 1990s, Nagorno-Karabakh republic has yet to be recognized by any country. The ARF was part of an electoral alliance of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation and the Movement 88, that won only 3 out of 33 seats at the 19 June 2005 elections.
[edit] Lebanon
Ethnic Armenians are allocated 6 seats in Lebanon's 128-member National Assembly. The Lebanese branch of the ARF has usually controlled a majority of the Armenian vote and won most of the ethnic Armenian seats in the National Assembly. It has generally avoided entanglement in sensitive domestic issues, usually supporting whatever government has happened to be in power. However, the ARF harshly criticized the Lebanese government's decision in 2006 to invite the deployment of Turkish troops as part of the multilateral UN peacekeeping force.
Prior to the Lebanese Civil War of 1975 to 1990, the party was closely allied to the Phalangist Party of Pierre Gemayel, and generally ran joint tickets with the Phalangists, especially in Beirut constituencies with large Armenian populations. The refusal of the ARF, along with most Armenian groups, to play an active role in the civil war, however, soured relations between the two parties, and the Lebanese Forces (a militia dominated by Phalangists and commanded by Bachir Gemayel, Pierre Gemayel's son) responded by attacking the Armenian quarters of many Lebanese towns including Bourj Hammoud. Many Armenians affiliated with the ARF took up arms voluntarily to defend their quarters.
A major change occurred in the parliamentary election of 2000. Negotiations to form a joint ticket between the ARF and the Dignity Party of Rafik Hariri broke down over Hariri's insistence that all candidates elected on his list, including ARF candidates, would have to form a unified parliamentary block subsequently - a rarity in Lebanese politics. He also refused the ARF proposal to provide the joint candidate for the sole seat allocated to Lebanon's Protestant community (many of whom are ethnically Armenian), insisting that that seat should go to an ally of his. The ARF decided to go it alone, although other Armenian parties joined Hariri's list. In an unprecedented sweep, Dignity and its allies captured 13 of Beirut's 19 seats, and the ARF was left with only one parliamentary seat, its worst result in many decades.
[edit] United States
The ARF is extremely active in the United States, where it functions as an umbrella organization to the Armenian National Committee of America, the Armenian Relief Society, the Homenetmen Armenian General Athletic Union, the Hamazkayin Cultural Foundation, and numerous other community organizations. The organization is comprised of two regions led by the Eastern and Western United States Central Committees. In addition, the ARF Shant Student Association is comprised of college and university student members in various campuses.
[edit] Goals
The Armenian Revolutionary Federation's goals are:
- The creation of a Free, Independent, and United Armenia. The borders of United Armenia shall include all territories designated as Armenia by the Treaty of Sèvres as well as the regions of Artsakh, Javakhk, and Nakhichevan (See map on right).
- International condemnation of the as yet unpunished Genocide committed by Ottoman Empire against the Armenians, return of the lands which are claimed to be occupied, and just reparations to the Armenian nation.
- The gathering of worldwide expatriate Armenians on the lands of United Armenia.
- Strengthening Armenia's statehood, institutionalization of democracy and the rule of law, securing the people's economic well being, and establishment of social justice.
[edit] Trivia
- The anthem of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation is Mshag Panvor , Lyrics
