Armenian National Delegation
[1] As historian Anahide Ter Minassian observes, this development fostered a sense of optimism among Armenian organizations, which initiated the collection, publication, and dissemination of statistical and documentary evidence to bolster the case for Russian diplomatic action.
[1][2] The Catholicos enjoyed the support of the Viceroy of the Caucasus, Illarion Vorontsov-Dashkov, and the National Bureau, which represented the Armenians of Russia and was established in 1912.
[13] In this context, which also witnessed the ascendance of the Young Turks to power, Boghos Nubar Pasha, a figure more conservative than the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF), called for reforms within the Ottoman Empire under the stipulations outlined in the Treaty of Berlin (particularly Article 61[14]).
[15] He maintained contact with the ARF, notably with Vahan Papazian, an influential figure in the Armenian institutions of Constantinople, who visited him in Paris in February 1913 to clarify the key points of the reforms to be implemented.
France and the United Kingdom pursued a status quo diplomacy to preserve their interests, opposing a Russian annexation of eastern Anatolia.
"[18] During the Conference, France and the United Kingdom sought to moderate Russian ambitions and denounced Germany's position, accusing it of interference in Ottoman Empire affairs.
[13] The European powers concluded the Conference without further ado and charged their respective ambassadors in Constantinople, at Russia's behest, with the responsibility of continuing the negotiations.
[13] In mid-1913, Nicholas II amassed troops in the Caucasus, at the border with the Ottoman Empire, and sought to intensify pressure by ordering his agents to incite Kurdish provocations in Western Armenia.
[13] He was disconcerted by the passive stance of the United Kingdom, which starkly contrasted with that of the Ottoman officials, particularly Grand Vizier Mahmoud Shevket Pacha, who expressed support for the proposed reforms.
[13] In his discussions with British financial circles, Boghos Nubar sought to persuade them that the proposed reforms would guarantee the security of their loans in the Ottoman Empire.
[13] Similarly, in his conversations with the German government, he endeavored, in collaboration with the Armenian Committee of Berlin, to illustrate that implementing reforms would be the most effective means of preventing a Russian invasion of the Ottoman Empire.
[13] In the context of the economic crisis that impacted the Ottoman Empire, Boghos Nubar Pasha put forth a proposal linking the provision of European material aid to the implementation of reforms.
[22] In a subsequent statement published in the Armenian newspaper Azadamard, the Ottoman government indicated its willingness to implement reforms and asserted that it had reached an agreement with Boghos Nubar Pasha on the majority of points, except for the issue of guarantees, following a meeting in Paris.
[22] Nevertheless, this official stance was largely driven by the Ottoman government's necessity to obtain a French financial loan to resume hostilities against Bulgaria.
[21] Consequently, Boghos Nubar proceeded to Berlin in early August, where he convened with German Foreign Minister Gottlieb von Jagow to persuade him to terminate his obstructionist policy.
Johannes Lepsius, a Protestant theologian who played a pivotal role in the negotiations by acting as an intermediary between the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople and the German embassy, conveyed to Boghos Nubar via telegram that "the situation [was] favorable" and extended an invitation to him to visit the Ottoman capital.
[21] Boghos Nubar declined the invitation, citing the responsibility of the Political Council, appointed by the Armenian National Assembly, to conduct negotiations within the Ottoman Empire.
[21] In late September 1913, European diplomats reached an agreement whereby the eastern provinces of the Ottoman Empire would be grouped into two territorial entities, each administered by an inspector.
[29] In this document, the delegation declared that "the independence of Integral Armenia shall be under the aegis of the Allied Powers and the United States, or the League of Nations as soon as it is formed.
She proceeded from Tehran to Paris in late 1918, where she delivered to the Armenian delegates a substantial body of documentation on the crimes committed by the Ottoman Empire.
[33][30] The vision of Armenia presented at the conference by Boghos Nubar was characterized by a notable degree of ambition, as evidenced by the map included herewith.
The "neutral" tendency was represented by Abraham Ter Hagopian, while the Congress also included two Ramgavars, namely Archag Tchobanian and Vahan Tekeyan, as well as two Dashnaks (FRA), namely Armen Garo and Hagop Nevrouz.
[43] As a symbol of the union between the two delegations, their two leaders co-signed an article titled "The Armenian Cause" in the journal La Paix des peuples on March 10, 1919.
[49] From late 1919 until the spring of 1920, Boghos Nubar Pasha and his Delegation undertook a mission to negotiate with the First Republic of Armenia and its Prime Minister Alexander Khatissian the formation of a unity government with the representatives of Ottoman Armenians.
Additionally, Boghos Nubar Pasha and the Armenian National Delegation are present, and the former jointly signed a protocol with Avetis Aharonian, which guarantees the freedoms, notably cultural and religious, of minorities in Armenia.
In response, Boghos Nubar Pasha sought to establish an Armenian national home in the Cilicia region through the French mandate, a venture that only endured from 1920 to 1921.
Turkey is represented by two delegations, one Ottoman and one Kemalist, in a position of strength as a result of its successes against the Armenians and its favorable relations with the Soviets.
[55] Despite the concessions made by the Allies, British Prime Minister Lloyd George demanded that the Turks recognize the "rights of Ottoman Armenian subjects to possess a National Home on the eastern borders of Anatolia.
In June 1921, Boghos Nubar Pasha, "demoralized and ill",[58] resigns from his position at the head of the Armenian National Delegation; he is succeeded by Gabriel Noradoungian.
However, it proposed the formation of a Central Committee for Armenian Refugees in Paris, 56 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, to assume responsibility for continuing its work.
