Arnold Reisman: On an Armenian Manifesto Circa 1923, III

[Arnold Reisman is an engineer and a retired professor of operations research at Case Western Reserve University. Born in Lodz in 1934, he came to the United States after World War II and is the author of numerous books about Holocaust refugees in Turkey, including Turkey's Modernization: Refugees from Nazism and Ataturk's Vision (New Academia, 2006).]

Hovannes Katchaznouni, 1923

As the title implies this is the third article in a series published by HNN bearing the title: “On an Armenian Manifesto Circa 1923.” The first appeared on December 6, 2010 (1), in Roundup: Talking About Historysection, and the second on January 5, 2011 2. In both articles I wrote “about a booklet which I found to be “a most interesting and incisive account of what had been happening among, and to, the Armenian people up to 1923.” This article will follow suit.

As indicated in the earlier articles “the original, was written by a most knowledgeable Armenian activist of the time, Hovhannes Katchaznouni 3 who … knew every Party secret before, during, and after the founding of the ill-fated [Armenian] Republic.” “Few were in a position to know more, nor to express themselves with greater clarity, logic, and foresight than Hovhannes Katchaznouni.”

In concluding the second article I stated that Hovhannes Katchaznouni was well justified, by events on the ground that were undisputedly known and reported by each of three quite disparate sets of sources, in making all of his assertions regarding the Turko-Armanian conflict in his Manifesto. (We now have a fourth independent source offering information that validates the Manifesto. Archival documents cross validate; the New York Times reportage, the writings of contemporary historians, as well as those of Soviet Armenian historians writing the late 1920s.)

All these sources support the argument that Katchaznouni had a well founded basis to state that the Dashnagtzoutiun should dissolve and cease all activities. That was back in 1923 and is history. What can we learn from this particular history to make a better world today and in the future? How can we use this history toward that end?

Following is a proposal:

Given that “many lives were lost on both the Turkish and the Armenian side since then.
Given that lives continue to be lost to this day.
Given that “the Armenians are no closer today in reaching their stated aspirations than they were then.”
Given that the Manifesto was written by a most credible Armenian statesman.
Given that all of the sources used for validating Katchaznouni positions were ethnic Armenians.
Given that the Turkish side has no problem with the Manifesto.
And given the Manifesto’s credibility to both sides

Arnold Reisman: On an Armenian Manifesto Circa 1923, Source: Special to HNN (12-6-10) http://hnn.us/roundup/entries/134237.html

http://hnn.us/roundup/11.html#135146

Katchaznouni, Hovhannes and Akalın, Lale, The Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnagtzoutiun) has nothing to do anymore: (report submitted to the 1923 party convention) (Istanbul: Kaynak Yayinlari, 2006)

Katchaznouni, Hovhannes Taşnak Partisinin Yapacağı Bir Şey Yok [Dashnagtzoutiun has nothing to do anymore] (Istanbul: Kaynak, 2006)

Katchaznouni, Hovhannes; Carlson, John Roy, The Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnagtzoutiun) has nothing to do anymore: the manifesto of Hovhannes Katchaznouni. (New York: Armenian Information Service, 1955)