During World War II, he became vice-president of the Armenisches Nationales Gremium (ANG/Armenian National Committee), which collaborated with Nazi German authorities against the Soviet Union.

[2] After his release from prison in 1912, Gyulkhandanyan attended the law school of the Demidov Lyceum in Yaroslavl․ Two years later he graduated and married his wife Haykanush, with whom he had a son, Ruben.

After the establishment of the First Republic of Armenia in May 1918, Gyulkhandanyan became a member of parliament and the ARF-led government, where he occupied the posts of Minister of Internal Affairs, Justice, and Finance.

During the Nazi occupation of Paris, he became the vice-president of the Armenian National Committee and editor of its organ Azat Hayastan (Free Armenia).

He was arrested by French authorities after the liberation of France and was imprisoned for eleven months (October 1944 – September 1945) before being released for health reasons.