Founding of the 3 Armenian Political Parties

Enlightenment (Renaissance of the Armenian People

• Zartonk (awakening)

• Education and awareness over a period of 300 years

• Led to an ever increasing resentment and active revolt of the Armenian people against the Ottoman leaders during the mid to late 1800’s

• Became a Revolutionary Movement formally organized under the leadership of 3 political parties in the late 1800’s

• Հայ ազգային-ազատագրական շարժում

- Հայ ազգային ազատագրականշարժում

• The movement was principally led by three political parties all founded in the late 1800’s:

• Armenian Democratic Liberal Party (Ramgavar Party, originally known as the Armenakan)

• Social Democrat Hunchakian Party

• Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnak - ARF)

Building Blocks – Israel Ori1658 - 1711

Building Block – David Bek? - 1728

Building Block – Joseph Emin1726 - 1809

Building Block – Mekhitarist Monks1717 - Present

Building Block – Khachadour Abovian1809 - 1848

Building Block – Raffi1835 - 1888

Building Block – Khrimian Hayrik1820 - 1907

The 3 Primary Political Parties

• Armenakan (Ramgavar) Party: Founded in 1885

• Social Democrat Hunchakian Party: Founded in 1887

• Armenian Revolutionary Federation: Founded in 1890.

Armenakan

• Established in Van by Mekertich Portukalian in 1885

• Its purpose was to “…win for the Armenian the right to rule over themselves through revolution…”

• It restricted membership to Armenians only

• Focused on education and self defense.

• Focused activities primarily in Van. Did not expand much beyond that.

Hunchak

• It was founded in 1887 by 7 college students in Geneva, Switzerland

• Goal was to gain Armenia's independence from the Ottoman Empire with revolutionary activity in Turkish Armenia.

• Its name is taken from its newspaper Hunchak, meaning "Clarion" or "Bell" in English, and is taken by party members to represent "a call for enlightenment and freedom.”

• Centralized structure

Armenian Revolutionary Federation

• Հայ Յեղափոխականների Դաշնակցութիւն

• The Armenian Revolutionary Federation(ARF) was founded in Tiflis in 1890

• The founders were Christapor Mikaelian, Stepan Zorian, and Simon Zavarian.

• Aim of unifying small groups that were advocating for reform and defending Armenian villages from massacres in the Ottoman empire.

• Decentralized structure