PRIME MINISTER’S 1919 LETTER DESCRIBES ARMENIA AS DESTITUTE, YET FULL OF HOPE
By Harut Sassounian

The California Courier
Jan 11, 2009

Today, at a time of global economic crisis, conflict and wars, most
people are justifiably discouraged and depressed by the deluge of
bad news. Armenia and Armenians are no exception.

At the outset of the year 2010, as Armenians assess their own
situation, it is instructive to look back at the appalling conditions
in the newly-born Republic of Armenia (1918-20). The stark difference
— along with some similarities — between life in Armenia today and
the first Republic becomes clear as we read the poignant letter of
Armenia’s first Prime Minister Hovhannes Katchaznouni sent to his
wife in Tbilisi, Georgia, in January 1919.

The letter was written shortly after Armenia gained independence, as
destitute Armenian survivors of the Genocide, dying from starvation
and disease, were exposed to freezing conditions without adequate
clothing or shelter. Prime Minister’s letter is a compelling document
that contains valuable lessons for Armenians today. I have translated
from the Armenian original excerpts from his lengthy letter.

Katchaznouni begins his letter by reflecting on his own troubled
state of mind: "I see in front of my eyes the hundreds of thousands
of people whose leadership has been entrusted to me. Remembering them,
thinking of them, drives me to insanity with pain and sorrow."

The Prime Minister describes in agonizing detail, the miserable
condition of his people as being "in abject poverty — in the pangs
of death. We have no bread to eat; we are starving. We have no shelter.

Our villages are destroyed. We don’t have a roof over our heads;
living in collapsed buildings under harsh winter conditions. We have
no clothes to wear. We are naked. We are freezing in tattered clothes.

We are exhausted, sick and near death. Typhus fever has assumed
unprecedented proportions. Two thousand out of Yerevan’s 60,000
inhabitants are bed-ridden with typhus fever. Half of the doctors
and nurses are either sick or dead. We have no disinfectants;
no fuel to heat up the public baths to bathe the people and rid
them of lice; and no soap to do the wash. We have no money. Our
[printed] money was confiscated by Georgians in Tbilisi. We have
no means of communication. The railroad is destroyed…. We have
no horse-driven carriages, as the horses have died of starvation,
and we have slaughtered the oxen for their meat."

Facing abject misery, Katchaznouni believes that Armenians were able
to survive only due to their unlimited ability to endure against all
odds: "Our troops who chased out the Georgians in Lori are naked and
hungry. We have more than 10,000 orphans in state orphanages with no
money to feed them. We have 300,000 homeless refugees who are dying
in front of our very eyes and we can’t do anything about it. State
offices are not functioning, as we have no means of payment. Adding
to this misery, we are afflicted with corruption, theft, pilfering,
robbery, and blackmail — against which we have no recourse."

He goes on to describe the complications resulting from clashes with
Georgians and Turks. He states that "while Armenia is trying to avoid
war at all cost, we cannot make concessions to everyone, to yield,
to be patient and retreat, because by doing so we endanger greatly
the future of our state, our political situation, our independence,
our freedom — everything for which we made such terrible sacrifices,
expended superhuman efforts, and survived for generations and
centuries. Yet, we are exhausted to such a degree that we are
unable to continue to fight, to resist, to endure, and make new
sacrifices…. Meanwhile, outside help from the United States and
England, on which we placed all of our hopes, is slow and inadequate."

The Prime Minister next complains about the "lack of talent and
inexperience" of government officials, including his own, and laments
"internal discord, lack of trust, antagonism, and even mutual hatred."

He describes the weaknesses of each cabinet minister, even accusing
one of seeking to enrich himself. Several of his ministers and top
aides are either bed-ridden with serious illnesses or have left the
country for short trips, but have not returned in weeks. He then turns
in despair to the bankrupt status of his government: "The state coffers
are empty. Our money is in the hands of the Georgians in Tbilisi. We
need to care for the orphans, distribute bread to the hungry, cure the
ill, and pay the staff… but how? I get dizzy just thinking about it!"

Before ending his letter, Katchaznouni consoles himself with the
hope that "the dawn is near." He calls upon Armenians "to endure,
pull together their last drop of energy, make a final effort, and
remain on their feet," because "we have already sacrificed so much,
lost so much blood, and shed so many tears. So many houses are in
ruins. All of these sacrifices must receive their just compensation
— not so much for ourselves, but for our children. Perhaps another
10,000 will lose their lives, including my own, but at least those
who survive will have normal lives, breathe freely, and live like
human beings. That will come to pass — shortly!"

Incredibly, despite overwhelming odds, Katchaznouni sees a bright
future: "Just five years earlier, Armenia was a mere geographical
term and a distant dream as a political unit that no one dared to
speak about. Today, the Republic of Armenia is a reality. Let this
Republic be tiny and poor. Let the people starve and suffer from
epidemics. All these things are transitory. What we have is a proven
fact. There is no power on earth that can erase from the pages of
history this reality. After 500 years of slavery, a nation is reborn
to live a free and independent life."

Armenia’s first Prime Minister then proudly recounts the establishment
of the Republic, expansion of its territory and withdrawal of Turkish
troops. "Great powers have recognized Armenia and have included us
in delegations for international conferences. Major countries have
formal relations with us. They send us their representatives. They
correspond with us, addressing us as ‘The Government of the Republic
of Armenia, the President, the Foreign Minister’."

While conditions in today’s Armenia are incomparably better than
they were in Katchanznouni’s time — after all, 90 years have passed
since then — the Armenian people surely deserve a higher standard
of living. The majority still lacks the basic necessities.

Yet despite economic hardships and outside threats, Armenians’ will to
survive is engrained in their DNA! For several millennia, they have
suffered occupation, plunder, wars, massacres, and even Genocide and
have endured. Today’s difficulties will also pass…. Armenians will
not only survive, but also thrive!