Latest / The Story of Armenia: Survival Through Empires and Genocide — Fexingo History / The Armenian Legion in WWI: Musa Dagh and the Fight for Cilicia
Transcript
- Lucas: So last time we talked about the fedayee — those guerrilla bands fighting in the mountains. But there's another story from just a few years later that I think really shows how Armenians tried to fight through formal military channels. The Armenian Legion in World War I. Luna: I've heard the name — the Légion Arménienne, right? Under French command? Lucas: Exactly. The French had their own colonial army, the Armée du Levant, and they recruited Armenians to fight in the Middle Eastern theater. It started in 1916, after the Armenian Genocide was already underway. Boghos Nubar, the head of the Armenian National Delegation, negotiated with the French to create a legion of Armenian volunteers. The idea was that if Armenians fought for the Allies, they'd get an autonomous Armenia — or at least a French-protected Cilicia — after the war. Luna: So it was a kind of quid pro quo — military service in exchange for a homeland. Lucas: Precisely. The French promised that the legion would be used only to liberate Cilicia, the historical Armenian kingdom along the Mediterranean coast. Recruitment started in 1916, mainly from Armenian refugees in Egypt, Cyprus, and France. They also drew from the Armenian communities in the United States and even from among prisoners of war. By 1918, the Legion had about 5,000 men. Lucas: But the most famous episode involving the Legion is actually tied to a civilian resistance that occurred before most of them even enlisted: the defense of Musa Dagh. You might know the name from Franz Werfel's novel 'The Forty Days of Musa Dagh.' Luna: I've heard of the book. That's the story where Armenian villagers held out on a mountain against the Ottoman army, right? Lucas: Yes. In July 1915, during the genocide, six villages near the Mediterranean coast — around the mountain of Musa Dagh — refused the deportation orders. They gathered supplies, built fortifications, and fought off Ottoman forces for fifty-three days. They signaled for help using flags and a makeshift spotlight. Finally, a French naval vessel, the Guichen, spotted them and evacuated over four thousand people to Port Said in Egypt. Luna: Fifty-three days — that's incredible. So those survivors became the core of the Legion? Lucas: Many of them did. The young men among the Musa Dagh survivors volunteered for the Legion, motivated by a desire to liberate their homeland. The Legion also included Armenians from other diaspora communities, as well as some from the Russian Empire who had made their way south. They were trained in Cyprus and then deployed to Palestine under General Allenby. Lucas: Their first major action came in September 1918 at the Battle of Arara, in what is now northern Israel. The Legion was assigned to the French Détachement Français de Palestine et de Syrie. They fought alongside French colonial troops — Goumiers from North Africa — and Australian units. The Legion performed brilliantly, breaking through Ottoman lines and capturing key positions. Luna: So they were actually in combat? I thought the French used them more as auxiliary or labor. Lucas: No, they saw real fighting. At Arara, the Legion lost about 26 killed and over 100 wounded. But they took nearly 500 prisoners and helped secure the Allied advance into Syria. Their commander, Colonel Romieu, praised their courage. After the Ottoman armistice at Mudros in October 1918, the Legion was among the first Allied units to enter Cilicia, landing at Mersin in December. Lucas: For a brief period, it looked like the dream was coming true. The Legion set up bases in Adana, Dörtyol, and Sis. They helped protect Armenian survivors returning from deportation. There was even a short-lived Armenian administration in Cilicia, with Boghos Nubar representing Armenian interests. But the geopolitical winds were shifting. Luna: The French never really intended to give them full independence, did they? Lucas: That's the tragedy. France's primary interest was in securing its own Mandate over Syria and Cilicia. They saw the Armenian Legion as a useful tool, but not as a partner. In 1920, the French began negotiating with the Turkish nationalist forces of Mustafa Kemal. By 1921, the Franklin-Bouillon Agreement effectively abandoned Cilicia to the Turks in exchange for French control over Syria. Luna: So the Legion's sacrifice was for nothing. Lucas: Not entirely nothing. The Legion's existence proved that Armenians could fight as a disciplined, modern army. It also created a core of veterans who later joined the Armenian army in the First Republic of Armenia, from 1918 to 1920. But the French disbanded the Legion in 1920, and many of its soldiers were left bitter. Some stayed in Cilicia and were killed in the Turkish advance; others emigrated to Syria, Lebanon, or the Americas. Lucas: There's also a darker chapter: the Legion was involved in suppressing local Arab uprisings in Syria, which tarnished its reputation. The French used them as colonial gendarmes, not liberators. So the Legion's legacy is complicated — a symbol of Armenian military prowess and self-determination, but also of misplaced trust in European promises. Luna: It reminds me of what we talked about with the fedayee — fighting for a homeland that never fully materialized. Lucas: Exactly. And that's why I think it's important to tell these stories. If you've been coming with us through these conversations about the Caucasus and the Armenian experience, you might find yourself wanting to dig deeper. One simple way to keep this podcast ad-free and going is listener support. It's just a small gesture — buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. That's buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. And honestly, it helps us keep bringing these layered histories to you without any commercial breaks. Luna: It's a small way to say this matters. And I think for anyone who's listened this far, it does. Lucas: So back to the Legion. The final blow came in 1921, when the French evacuated Cilicia entirely. Armenian civilians who had returned under French protection were once again forced to flee. The Legion was formally dissolved, and many of its soldiers were integrated into the French colonial forces or discharged. The dream of a French-guaranteed Armenian Cilicia was over. Luna: What happened to the leaders, like Boghos Nubar? Lucas: Boghos Nubar continued to advocate for the Armenian cause at the League of Nations and in Paris. He died in 1930. Karekin Pastırmacıyan, who had been a commander in the Legion, later served as the ambassador of the First Republic of Armenia to the United States. After the Sovietization of Armenia, he remained in exile. The Legion itself faded into relative obscurity, but its story is a powerful thread in the tapestry of Armenian survival. Luna: I wonder how many people know that Armenians fought under the French flag in Palestine. Lucas: Not enough. The Battle of Arara is commemorated by a monument in Israel, and there are memorials in Armenia and in the diaspora. But the broader narrative of the Legion — the hopes, the betrayal, the sacrifice — is a lesson in the limits of relying on great powers. It also shows the extraordinary lengths Armenians went to in order to reclaim their homeland.