February Uprising

For the skirmishes between socialist and conservative-fascist forces between 12 February and 16 February 1934, in Austria sometimes called February Uprising, see Austrian Civil War.

February Uprising
Part of Sovietization of Armenia
The Republic of Mountainous Armenia was the last self-governing area after the Sovietization of Democratic Republic of Armenia
Date February 13 - April 2, 1921 Location Armenian SSR Result Soviet power set up in northern Armenia, the Republic of Mountainous Armenia established in south (Zangezur), which lasted until July 1921.
Belligerents
Armenian Revolutionary Federation	11th Red Army

History of Armenia
Etymology Timeline Traditional Urheimat
Prehistory Stone & Copper Age Shulaveri-Shomu culture c.6500–3400 BCE Areni-1 Cave Complex Kura–Araxes culture c.3400–2000 BCE Legend of Hayk (?) 2492 BCE Bronze & Iron Age Hayasa-Azzi c.1500–1290 BCE Arme-Shupria c.1300s–1190 BCE Ararat/Urartu Nairi Tribes 1114–860 BCE Kingdom of Van 860–590 BCE
Antiquity Achaemenid Period Satrapy of Armina 553–331 BCE Orontid Dynasty 553–189 BCE Ancient Armenia Kingdom of Armenia 331 BCE–428 CE Artaxiad Dynasty 189 BCE–1 CE Empire 84–34 BCE Arsacid Dynasty 54–428 CE Roman–Parthian War 58–63 CE Roman Occupation 114–118 CE Christianization 301 CE Armenia Minor 331–72 BCE Kingdom of Sophene c.200–94 BCE Kingdom of Commagene 163 BCE–72 CE Marzpanate Period Byzantine Armenia 387–536 Persian Armenia 428–646 Mamikonian Dynasty Battle of Avarayr 451
Middle Ages Arabic Period Emirate of Arminiya 653–884 Hamamshen 700s–1300s Amatuni Dynasty Medieval Armenia Kingdom of Armenia 884–1045 Bagratid Dynasty 861–1118 Kingdom of Vaspurakan 908–1021 Artsruni Dynasty Kingdom of Lori 979–1118 Battle of Manzikert 1071 Cilician & Turco-Mongol Period Seljuq rule 1071–1201 Kingdom of Artsakh 1000–1261 House of Hasan-Jalalyan Georgian Union 1201–1236 Ilkhanid rule 1236–1335 Turkmen rule 1335–1508 Kingdom of Cilicia 1198–1375 Rubenid Dynasty 1000–1261 Hethumid Dynasty 1226–1373 Armenian Lusignan Dynasty 1341–1375
Early Modern Age Perso-Ottoman Period Safavid & Qajar rule 1508–1828 Nakhichevan deportation 1606 Principality of Khachen 1261–1750 Five Melikdoms Ottoman rule 1548–1915 Six Vilayets 1878 Hamidian massacres 1895–1896 Armenian Genocide 1909–1918 Russian Period Russian rule 1828–1918 Armenian Oblast 1828–1840 Western Armenia 1915–1918 Armenian National Movement Armenakan 1885 S.D. Hunchakian Party 1887 ARF (Dashnaktsutyun) 1890 Caucasus Campaign 1914–1918 Battle of Sardarapat 1918 Battle of Karakilisa 1918 First Armenian Republic 1918–1920 Treaty of Batum 1918 Armenian–Azerbaijani War 1918–1920 Georgian–Armenian War 1918 Treaty of Sèvres 1920 Wilsonian Armenia 1920 Turkish–Armenian War 1920 Treaty of Alexandropol 1920
Modern Age Soviet Period Armenian S.S.R. 1920–1991 February Uprising 1921 Republic of Mountainous Armenia 1921 Treaty of Moscow 1921 Treaty of Kars 1921 Independence Armenian Diaspora Armenian Republic since 1991 Nagorno-Karabakh Republic since 1994 Nagorno-Karabakh War 1989–1994
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The February Uprising (Armenian: Փետրվարյան ապստամբություն P'etrvaryan apstambut'yun; Russian: Февральское восстание) was an anti-Soviet rebellion by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation which started on February 13 and was suppressed on April 2, 1921 by recaptuing of Yerevan by Bolshevik forces.

Background

After Sovietization of Armenia in December 1920 about 1,000 officers of the Democratic Republic of Armenia were arrested by the Bolshevik authorities, including Tovmas Nazarbekian, Movses Silikyan, etc. They were forced to walk from Yerevan to Alaverdi by foot (about 160 kilometers) and some of them were killed on the road and others were made fun of. Later, arrested officers were sent to jails in Baku and Russia. In February 1921, many heroes of the Battle of Sardarabad were shot, including Daniel Bek-Pirumyan and his brother Poghos Bek-Pirumyan committed suicide after being tortured. Pro-ARF intellectuals were also harassed. The villagers were robbed. Wheat was taken away from them without any compensation.

The Uprising

As a result of these, a rebellion started in February 13 by the signal of refugees from Sasun settled in the foot of Mount Aragats. By February 17 Ashtarak, Ejmiatsin, Garni and Hrazdan, etc. were taken over by Armenian Revolutionary Federation forces. On February 18 the rebellious forces entered Yerevan by the leadership of Kuro Tarkhanyan and Garnetsi Martiros. The Bolsheviks and the Red Army retreated to Artashat. Hovhannes Katchaznouni, Levon Shant, Nikol Aghbalian and 100 other political activists and intellectuals were freed from jails. After capturing Yerevan by the direct leadership of Simon Vratsian the “Committee for the Salvation of Fatherland” was founded, which was to govern the country until formation of a new government. The committee addressed the population on February 18 which invoked people to “protect order and rule, strictly fulfill all the orders of the committee”. Throughout the 42-day freedom, bloody battles took places between ARF forces and the Bolsheviks. On February 27 the Bolsheviks tried to attack Yerevan but on March 1 they were forced to retreat. After a two-week pause, Bolshevik units again attacked and took over Artashat on March 16 but the next day ARF forces started an offensive and recaptured Ashtarak. Regardless on heroic resistance of Armenian forces, the Bolsheviks had a great numerical superiority. Great offensives of the Bolsheviks started on March 24. They captured Aparan, Kotayk and gradually emerging, entered Yerevan on April 2. The ARF forces retreated without any serious battle to avoid the destruction of the capital.

Aftermath

See also: Republic of Mountainous Armenia

The "Committee for the Salvation of Fatherland", ARF forces and many civilians retreaed to Zangezur, where they joined Garegin Nzhdeh's forces, where the Republic of Mountainous Armenia was formed. It was finally taken over by Bolshevik forces in July 1921. The Armenian leaders went to Persia to avoid arrest an possible execution by the Soviets.

The reasons of the revolt were later discussed by the Bolshevik government and was decided to treat the population with more tolerancy. After suppressing the February Uprising, Aleksandr Myasnikyan was appointed Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of Armenia, the newly installed government of the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic.

International reactions

On February 18, the Committee send a message to the Armenian delegation in Paris and to the leaders of world powers (France, England, Italy), League of Nations, etc., but it remained not responded. A message was also sent to the Armenian delegation in Tiflis, Georgia, where after the Sovietization of Armenia, local Armenians were subjected to violence. Georgia responded to the message on February 21, when the Armenian embassy was reopened in Tiflis. Violence against Armenians was stopped after that. Georgia fell to the Soviets on February 25, so Armenian rebels were left alone against the Bolshevik forces. World powers didn’t help ARF forces, because it was obvious that sooner or later they would fall.

See also

• History of Armenia

References

• (Armenian) 1921 Թ. ՓԵՏՐՎԱՐՅԱՆ ԱՊՍՏԱՄԲՈՒԹՅՈՒՆԸ