Latest / The Story of Armenia: Survival Through Empires and Genocide — Fexingo History / The Armenian Legion in World War I
Transcript
- Lucas: So we've talked a lot about the Armenian diaspora, the republic, the genocide — but there's a fascinating military chapter that often gets overlooked: the Armenian Legion, formed by the French during World War I. Luna: The French? Why would France raise an Armenian unit? Lucas: Good question. It's tangled up in the big power politics of the war. By 1916, the Allies were making promises to various groups to win support. The French, with British help, promised Armenians that if they fought alongside them, they'd get an autonomous Armenia in Cilicia — the old Armenian kingdom of Cilicia. That region was under Ottoman control, and France had historic interests there. Luna: So it was a colonial promise, basically. Lucas: Exactly. The key figure was Boghos Nubar, the head of the Armenian National Delegation. He lobbied hard for the creation of an Armenian volunteer force under French command. And in November 1916, the French government authorized the Légion Arménienne — the Armenian Legion. It was to be part of the French Foreign Legion technically, but composed entirely of Armenians. Luna: Where did they recruit? Lucas: Mostly from the diaspora — Armenians in Egypt, France, the United States. But also survivors. After the Musa Dagh resistance in 1915, about four thousand Armenians were rescued by French ships and taken to Port Said. Many of them joined the legion. Can you imagine? They'd just escaped a massacre, and they signed up to fight the same empire. Luna: That's extraordinary. And also heartbreaking. Lucas: The legion was formally established in 1917. They trained in Cyprus and then in Palestine. The unit had about four thousand men at its peak. Their commander was a French officer, Lieutenant Colonel Louis Romieu. But Armenian officers like Karekin Pastırmacıyan — later known as Armen Garo, a former Ottoman parliamentarian — also played key roles. Lucas: Their big moment came in September 1918, at the Battle of Arara in modern-day Israel. The Allied forces were pushing north through Palestine. The Armenian Legion was assigned to take a strategic ridge held by Ottoman and German troops. They did it — and they did it with heavy casualties, but they broke through. Luna: Was that battle significant beyond the local gain? Lucas: It was. It contributed to the collapse of the Ottoman front in Palestine. General Edmund Allenby, the British commander, praised their bravery. And for Armenians, it was a proof of loyalty — they had fought and bled for the Allied cause, expecting a reward. Lucas: But here's the tragedy. After the war, the French reneged. At the Paris Peace Conference, Boghos Nubar pushed for an Armenian mandate over Cilicia. But France, worried about Turkish nationalist resistance and wanting to preserve its own colonial interests, eventually abandoned the idea. By 1921, they signed the Treaty of Ankara with Mustafa Kemal, effectively selling out the Armenians. Luna: So the legion's sacrifice was for nothing? Lucas: Not exactly for nothing — it's remembered in Armenian history as a demonstration of national will. But politically, yes, it was a betrayal. The legion was disbanded in 1920. Many of its soldiers and their families were left in refugee camps, waiting for a homeland that never came. Some later joined the Soviet Armenian army, others went back to the diaspora. Lucas: And there's an interesting parallel here with the French colonial troops — the Senegalese tirailleurs, the Indochinese — who also fought for France and were later discarded. But for Armenians, it's especially poignant because they had no state to fall back on. Luna: That must have felt like a second betrayal, after the genocide. Lucas: Exactly. The legion's story also reveals the divisions within the Armenian leadership. Boghos Nubar, who was allied with the Hunchakian party, had a rivalry with the Dashnaktsutyun, who had their own volunteer units fighting on the Russian side. So there was no unified Armenian strategy. Luna: That makes sense — the diaspora wasn't monolithic. Lucas: And it gets even more complicated because some Armenians in the Ottoman army fought against the legion. There were Armenian soldiers conscripted into the Ottoman ranks, though many deserted. The whole thing is a web of loyalties and survival instincts. Lucas: One more detail I love: the legion's flag. It featured a blue cross on a white field, with a red stripe — sort of like the French tricolor but with the Armenian cross. That flag is still a symbol for some Armenian diaspora groups today. Luna: It's a tangible piece of history. Lucas: And it reminds me — and I think this is worth saying — the reason we can dive into stories like this, with all their nuance, is because this show is listener-supported. No ads, no sponsors. Just people who care about history chipping in at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. It's a small group, but it's what keeps these conversations going. Luna: That's real. And it means we can follow the facts wherever they lead. Lucas: Exactly. So, back to the legion: after the war, many soldiers settled in Cilicia for a few years, hoping for an autonomous region. But when the French evacuated in 1921, thousands of Armenians fled — again — this time to Syria, Lebanon, and elsewhere. The legion had given them a taste of military discipline and national pride, but no homeland. Luna: What happened to the leaders? Like Karekin Pastırmacıyan? Lucas: He became a diplomat for the Republic of Armenia, later was assassinated in 1923 by a former Ottoman agent in Berlin. His story is a whole other episode. But his name is still revered among Armenians. Lucas: The Armenian Legion is a small footnote in the vast history of World War I, but for Armenians, it's a powerful example of agency — of taking up arms to reclaim dignity. Even if the great powers failed them, they proved they could fight. Luna: And that's a story worth remembering. Lucas: Absolutely. Next time, we might look at another aspect of Armenian military history — maybe the fedayeen or the resistance in Van. But for now, I think this gives a new angle on the diaspora's role.