Westarmenien

Datei:Western Armenian Armenian population 1870s .jpg

The Armenian population of the eastern regions of the Ottoman Empire in 1870s, before the systematic killings of Armenians. (in Armenian)

Western Armenia (for other name see below) is a term, primarily used by Armenians, to refer to Armenian-inhabited areas of the Armenian Highland that were part of the Ottoman Empire since 16th century and now are part of the Republic of Turkey.

After the Hamidian Massacres of 1894-1896 and the Armenian Genocide (1915-1923) the indigenous Armenian population was either massacred, escaped to Russia or deported to the Syrian Desert. Currently, mostly Kurds and Turks live in that area, with minorities being Azerbaijanis, Laz people (Muslim ethnic Gergians) and Hamshenis (Muslim ethnic Armenians).

Names

Turkish Armenia and Ottoman Armenia were used until 1920s.

The following table shows different names of the region used in Armenian during different time periods.

Name	Phonetic pronunciation	Literally meaning	Dialect(s)	Orthography	Period of use
Արեւմտեան Հայաստան	Arevmdean Hayasdan	Western Armenia	Western	Traditional	mainly since after the collapse of Soviet Union; rarely used before 1990s
Արևմտյան Հայաստան	Arevmtyan Hayastan	Western Armenia	Eastern	Reformed	mainly since after the collapse of Soviet Union; rarely used before 1990s
Տաճկահայաստան	Tačkahayastan in Eastern Daǰkahayasdan in Western	Turkish Armenia	Both	Both	mainly before 1920s; rarely used nowadays
Թուրքահայաստան Թրքահայաստան	T'urk'ahayastan T'rk'ahayastan	Turkish Armenia	Both	Both	mainly before 1920s; rarely used nowadays

History

The Six Armenian vilayets (provinces) of the Ottoman Empire were defined as Western Armenia.

World War I

During the collapse of Ottoman Empire Western Armenia remained under Turkish rule, and in 1894–96 and 1915 the Ottoman Empire perpetrated systematic massacres and forced deportations of Armenians resulting in the Armenian Genocide.

Armenian Genocide

Armenian Genocide: map of massacre locations and deportation and extermination centers

The massive deportation and killings of Armenians began in the spring 1915. On April 24, 1915 Armenian intellectuals and community leaders were deported from Comstantinople.

Caucasus Campaign

The area of Russian occupation of Western Armenia in summer 1916.

During the Caucasus Campaign of the World War I, Russian Empire occupied most of the Armenian-populated regions of the Ottoman Empire. A temporary provincial government was established in occupied areas 1915–1918.

The chaos caused by the Russian Revolution of 1917 put a stop to all Russian military operations and the Russian forces began to conduct withdrawals.

The modern concept of the United Armenia as used by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun).

The Eastern Anatolia Region of modern Turkey roughly corresponding to the Western Armenia.

The western border of the Republic of Armenia as drawn by US President Woodrow Wilson's arbitral award in 1920. The territory is also known as Wilsonian Armenia.

Current situation

The fate of Western Armenia — commonly referred to as "The Armenian Question" — is considered as a key issue in the modern history of the Armenian people. The first and second congresses of Western Armenians took place in Yerevan in 1917 and 1919. Since 2000, an organizing committee of congress of heirs of Western Armenians who survived the Armenian Genocide is active in diasporan communities.

Currently, the Republic of Armenia doesn't have any territorial claims to the Republic of Turkey, although, some political parties such as the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, the largest Armenian party in the diaspora, claim the area given to the Republic of Armenia (1918-1920) by US President Woodrow Wilson's arbitral award in 1920, also known as Wilsonian Armenia.

See also

• History of Armenia
• Geography of Armenia
• Armenian Highland
• Armenians in the Ottoman Empire
• Ottoman Armenian population
• Treaty of Alexandropol

Further reading

• Arman J. Kirakosian, "English Policy towards Western Armenia and Public Opinion in Great Britain (1890-1900)", Yerevan, 1981, 26 p. (in Armenian and Russian).

External links

• Disappearance of Western Armenia after World War 1
• Video: Provinces of Western Armenia
• Radio Television Western Armenia