A Farewell to Arms

Vahe H. Apelian

Rupen Der Minassian, courtesy Mikle Babayan

Mikle Babayan recently posted on his Facebook page a copy of Roupen Der Minassian’s farewell message to the Army as the first Republic of Armenia’s Minister of the Military. It appears that the Republic of Armenia referred to its Defense Minister as Minister of Military.

The commander’s farewell message was posted on November 25, 1920, during a watershed period in the recent Armenian history. The government headed by Hamo Ohanjanian had resigned, compelling Roupen’s resignation as well. Simon Vratsian had accepted to be the Prime Minister to form a caretaker government to cede the government to the communists. 

Along with Roupen Der Minassian’s farewell message, Prime Minister Simon Vratsian’s communiqué, dated also November 25, 1920, is also listed. The communiqué is headlined “From Prime Minister’s Orders, No. 71.”  In it, the last Prime Minister of the First Republic Simon Vratsian noted that according to the parliament’s November 13 decision he had accepted the position of Prime Minister and a day earlier, on November 24, had formed the last  government of the Republic of Armenia consisting of six members entrusting the defense minister’s post to Dro, Drasdamat Kanayan.

Five days later, on November 29, 1920, the Communist Party of Armenia took over the nascent Republic of Armenia. Two days later, on December 1, 1920, the last Prime Minister of Armenia, Simon Vratsian, ceded control of the country to the Communist Party and hence the Soviet Socialist Republic of Armenia came into being that would last for the next seventy years.

According to Mikle Babayan, PM Vratsian's communiqué and Roupen Der Minassian’s farewell message appeared in “Razmig” (Combatant), which appears to have been the military ministry’s official paper. (See attached)

Roupen Der Minassian’s farewell message is emotional and brutally honest. We should bear in mind that since the fall of the last Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia in 1375 AD, the Armenians did not have a standing Army until “Thanks to the efforts of Armenian National Council of Tiflis, an Armenian military corps was established to fight against the Ottoman offensive of late 1917 and early 1918.” (Wikipedia).  

I attached the translation of Minister of Military’s farewell address. My cousin Jack Chelebian M.D. ably edited my translation.

The message is headlined as follows:

“Republic of Armenia Minister of Military

Soldiery Command

1920, November 25, Yerevan, No.511

The farewell message reads:

“Resigning my office of Minister of the Military, I consider it my obligation to the Armenian army’s officers, soldiers and officials to express my grateful thanks for the victories they achieved over time against the external enemy, as well as their accomplishments in the mission of establishing law and order in the country.

Witnessing the formation of the Armenian Army, its development and the victories it achieved, I firmly believed in the fulfillment of our beautiful age-old dream of a United and Independent Armenia, completely liberated. I followed with excitement our army’s advances on the borders of Eastern Armenia.

However, our newly established army did not prove to be strong enough to be a match against our enemy’s forces forged through centuries of warfare and unfortunately had to concede to the stronger and better organized adversary.

But I am deeply convinced that our army’s weakened morale will soon shift. The bitter reality instructs us to respect and love our homeland and its hard won independence and freedom.

Onward to awakening, to noble tasks, to resolute bravery for the salvation and preservation of our Fatherland.

Minister of the Military

Roupen Der-Minassian”

Updated on March 10, 2020