Latest / The Story of Armenia: Survival Through Empires and Genocide — Fexingo History / The Battle of Sardarabad: Armenia's Last Stand for Independence
Transcript
- Lucas: So, we've talked about the genocide in 1915, the siege of Van, but there's a battle that came right at the end of World War I that's almost miraculous. It's the Battle of Sardarabad, fought in May 1918, and it's the reason there is an Armenian state today. Luna: Wait, I thought Armenia became independent only in 1991? Lucas: Well, there was a brief window—the First Republic of Armenia lasted from 1918 until 1920, when it was sovietized. But that window might not have opened at all if not for Sardarabad. By spring 1918, the Russian Empire had collapsed, the Ottoman army was advancing east to reclaim territories lost in the 1877-78 war, and the Transcaucasian Federation—a short-lived union of Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan—was falling apart. Lucas: The Ottoman forces under Vehib Pasha had taken Erzurum, Kars, and were heading straight for Yerevan. The Armenian population was in a state of shock after the genocide. Many survivors had fled east. The Armenian national council was scrambling to form a government. And militarily, they had almost nothing—a few thousand regular troops, some fedayeen fighters, and a lot of raw volunteers. Luna: So they were up against the Ottoman army, which had been fighting for years. What was the plan? Lucas: There wasn't much of a plan. But a commander named Movses Silikyan took charge. He was a seasoned officer from the Russian imperial army, and he positioned his forces near Sardarabad, a small village about 30 kilometers west of Yerevan. The idea was to block the Ottoman advance at a narrow plain between Mount Ararat and the Araxes River. Lucas: Meanwhile, two other battles were happening simultaneously—Karakilisa and Bash Abaran—to the north. They formed a defensive triangle. If any one fell, Yerevan would be wide open. Luna: So three battles at once. And they were massively outnumbered. Lucas: Massively. The Ottomans had about 20,000 soldiers, well-equipped and battle-hardened. The Armenians had maybe 9,000 to 10,000, many of them armed with whatever they could find. But they had an advantage: desperation. They were fighting for their homeland, and they knew what the Ottoman conquest meant. The genocide was still ongoing. Luna: It's like a last stand, isn't it? Lucas: Exactly. And the battle started on May 21, 1918. The Ottoman forces attacked with artillery and infantry. The Armenian defenders held for two days, but on the third day, they began to retreat. Silikyan ordered a counterattack, and he personally led a cavalry charge. It worked—they drove the Ottomans back. Lucas: At Bash Abaran, a smaller Armenian force commanded by Daniel Bek-Pirumyan—a veteran fedayee—stopped the Ottoman advance in the mountains. At Karakilisa, another group held the line. By May 28, the Ottoman offensive had stalled. The road to Yerevan was secure. Luna: And that's when they declared independence? Lucas: Yes, on May 28, 1918, the Armenian National Council in Tiflis declared the First Republic of Armenia. The battle of Sardarabad became its founding myth. It was a victory against impossible odds. Lucas: And if you've been stepping into history with us through these conversations about the Caucasus, you might have noticed something: we don't run ads. Not before, not during, not after. That's a deliberate choice. We want these stories to be free and uninterrupted. So if you want to support that, there's a link: buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Luna: Yeah, it's a small way to keep the show going. And we appreciate it. Lucas: So back to Sardarabad. The victory was huge, but it wasn't permanent. The Ottoman forces regrouped, and by June, they had signed the Treaty of Batum, which forced Armenia to cede large areas. Still, the republic survived for two and a half years. Luna: What happened to Silikyan and Pirumyan after the battle? Lucas: Movses Silikyan was later arrested by the Soviet regime and executed in 1937 during Stalin's purges. Daniel Bek-Pirumyan died in 1921, possibly killed by Bolsheviks. Their memories were suppressed under Soviet rule, but after Armenia's independence in 1991, Sardarabad was restored as a national holiday. May 28 is now Republic Day. Lucas: There's also a memorial complex at the site, with a striking statue of a winged woman—she's called the 'Mother Armenia of Sardarabad'—and a museum. It's a pilgrimage site for many Armenians. Luna: It's incredible that such a decisive battle is so little known outside Armenia. Lucas: It is. And part of that is because World War I was ending, the Ottoman Empire was collapsing, and attention shifted to the new Republic of Turkey under Mustafa Kemal. But for Armenians, Sardarabad is as important as Masis—Mount Ararat—in the national psyche. It's proof that they could fight and win. Lucas: The battle also showed the role of the fedayeen, the guerrilla fighters who had been resisting the genocide. They brought a fierce determination. One of them, a commander named Tovmas Nazarbekian, later wrote that the battle was a miracle of will. Luna: A miracle of will. That sums it up. Lucas: It does. And it's a reminder that history is full of turning points where a small, determined group changes the course of events. Sardarabad is one of those moments. Lucas: Now, the republic didn't last long. By late 1920, the Bolsheviks invaded and the First Republic was absorbed into the Soviet Union. But the memory of Sardarabad never died. When Armenia became independent again in 1991, the battle was invoked as a symbol of resilience. Luna: So the battle itself is a kind of foundation story, like the Battle of Avarayr for faith. Lucas: Exactly. Avarayr in 451 AD was a loss that inspired future resistance. Sardarabad was a win that gave a state. Both are central to Armenian identity. Lucas: And I think that's what makes this story so powerful. It's not just about military tactics—it's about a people deciding that they would not be erased. After the genocide, after losing their homeland in the Ottoman Empire, they stood at Sardarabad and said: no further. Luna: And they did it with sheer will and a bit of luck. Lucas: Will and timing. The Ottomans were overstretched, the war was ending, and the Armenian forces had just enough leadership and courage. It's one of those stories that makes you believe in the power of ordinary people to shape history. Lucas: So next time you're staring at a map of the Caucasus, look for Yerevan. And remember that 30 kilometers west, on a plain near Mount Ararat, a handful of farmers, refugees, and fedayeen held the line.