The Russian-Armenian volunteer units took part in military activities in the Middle Eastern theater of World War I.

[3] Besides the regular soldiers of the Russian Caucasus Army, nearly 20,000 Armenian irregular units expressed their readiness to take up arms against the Ottoman Empire.

Drastamat Kanayan and Armen Garo directed the 2nd battalion over the offensives around Lake Van (Vaspurakan).

Enver Pasha's offensive had a great chance of success if all three wings of the Third Army could reach their objectives on time.

The Ottoman Tenth Army corps, during its march from Olti to Sarikamish, suffered a delay of 24 hours in the Barduz Pass due to the resistance of the "4th battalion of the Armenian volunteers".

[11] These Armenian conscripts and volunteers from the Russian Army later established the core of the armed forces of the First Republic of Armenia.