Khetcho Commander of cavalry Armenian volunteer units.png
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Khetcho ( hy, Խէչո; 1872 – July 1915) was a renowned Armenian activist and combatant. A member of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, Khetcho led an active life in Armenian politic affairs. During his time as an activist, he participated in the
Khanasor Expedition The Khanasor Expedition ( hy, Խանասորի արշավանքը, ''Khanasori arshavankë'') was a punitive raid launched by Armenian fedayees against the Kurdish Mazrik tribe on July 25, 1897. In 1896, in the aftermath of the Defense of Van, th ...
, an offensive by Armenian fedayees against the Kurdish Mazrik tribe on July 25, 1897. He was also a key supporter of the Iranian Constitutional Revolution. In 1915, during a skirmish between Turkish forces near Bitlis, he was killed in action.


Early life

Khetcho was born Khachadur Amirian in 1872 in Nakhichevan which was then part of the Russian Empire. His father was a local priest. He studied in
Shushi / hy, Շուշի , settlement_type = City , image_skyline = ShushaCollection2021.jpg , image_caption = Landmarks of Shusha, from top left:Ghazanchetsots Cathedral • Yukhari Govhar ...
at the local Diocese School. Khetcho goes on to become a trainer of Armenian revolutionary fighters who were mainly stationed in the Caucasus.


Khanasor Expedition

In 1896, during the aftermath of the Defense of Van, the Mazrik tribe had ambushed many of the Armenian defenders of Van as they were retreating into Persia. The Armenian Revolutionary Federation decided to retaliate, resulting in the
Khanasor Expedition The Khanasor Expedition ( hy, Խանասորի արշավանքը, ''Khanasori arshavankë'') was a punitive raid launched by Armenian fedayees against the Kurdish Mazrik tribe on July 25, 1897. In 1896, in the aftermath of the Defense of Van, th ...
. Khetcho departed from Persia and participated in the expedition which became his first armed combat mission. During the mission, Khetcho met Yeprem Khan, another Armenian Revolutionary who Khetcho eventually collaborated with during the Iranian Constitutional Revolution.


Armeno-Tatar clashes

Thereafter, during the Armenian–Tatar massacres of 1905–07, Khetcho participated in the defense of Armenians throughout the Caucasus. During his participation, he was assistant to
Nikol Duman Nikol Duman ( hy, Նիկոլ Դուման), born Nikoghayos Ter-Hovhannisyan ( hy, Նիկողայոս Տեր-Հովհաննիսյան; 12 January 1867 – 23 September 1914), was an Armenian fedayee from Karabakh. Early life Nikoghayos Ter-Hov ...
, an Armenian fedayee from Karabakh. He was in charge of defending Armenian villages that were situated next to the Arax river.


Iranian Constitutional Revolution

During the Iranian Constitutional Revolution, Khetcho fought the anti-constitutionalists alongside Yeprem Khan and Keri from 1908–10. Khetcho's unit spearheaded the monarchist's army becoming a viable force within its ranks. In 1910, while in battle, Khetcho's jawbone was shattered by a bullet. Thereafter, he was forced to settle in
Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
.


World War I

In the First Balkan War of 1912–13, the Ottoman Empire had lost its
Balkan The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...
possessions to Christian uprisings, intensifying fears in the Turkish homeland that the Empire's increasingly restive Armenian Christian minority—with the assistance or encouragement of Western governments—might also attempt to establish an independent state, resulting in the breakup of Turkey itself.
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Distrust and suspicion of Armenians reached a peak following the outbreak of World War I, when a successful advance of Russian troops across the Turkish border into the heavily Armenian-populated vilayet of Van in early 1915 was blamed on Armenian disloyalty, leading the Turkish government to adopt a set of extreme measures which would culminate in the Armenian genocide. Prior to the start of World War I, Khetcho participated in the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Council meeting in Berlin. Khetcho was then tasked to acquire armaments in order to support self-defense efforts. At the start of the war, he was one of the five Armenian legions formed to enter Ottoman territory forming the
Armenian volunteer units The Armenian volunteer units ( hy, Հայ կամավորական ջոկատներ ''Hay kamavorakan jokatner'') were units composed of Armenians within the Imperial Russian Army during World War I. Composed of several groups at battalion streng ...
under Russian command. During the Van Resistance, Khetcho's unit was among the first to enter and liberate it on May 5, 1915. This was followed by the Russian armies occupation of the city a few days later.


Death

After Van was liberated, Khetcho and his squadron were assigned to assist self-defense efforts in Mush and
Sassoun Sason ( hy, Սասուն, translit=Sasun, ku, Qabilcewz, ar, قبل جوز; formerly known as Sasun or Sassoun) is a district and town in the Batman Province of Turkey. It was formerly part of the sanjak of Siirt, which was in Diyarbakır vi ...
. In July 1915, Khetcho stopped in Bitlis, where in June 1915, during the Armenian genocide, Turks and Kurds, led by
Jevdet Bey Jevdet Bey or Cevdet Tahir BelbezSait Çetinoğlu"Bir Osmanlı Komutanının Soykırım Güncesi", ''Birikim'', 09.04.2009. (1878 – January 15, 1955) Selcuk Uzun"1915 „Van İsyanı“ ve Vali Cevdet (Belbez) Bey" ''Küyerel'', 30.12.2011. wa ...
, were known to have massacred 15,000 Armenians. Walker, Christopher J. "The End of Armenian Taron and Baghesh, 1914–1916" in ''Armenian Baghesh/Bitlis and Taron/Mush'', pp. 191–206. In preparation for a Russian advance, the Turkish forces mounted their artillery atop a mountain with a clear path to launch a renewed offensive onto the village. Fearing an impending massacre upon the Armenian population of the village, Khetcho and his regiment led a cavalry offensive against the Turkish army pushing them higher up the mountain. However, during a counter-attack by Turkish forces, Khetcho was fatally wounded. His body was taken to Van where he was ultimately buried next to other Armenian revolutionaries.


References


External links

* {{Persian Constitutional Revolution Persions 1872 births 1915 deaths Armenian nationalists People from Nakhchivan People from Erivan Governorate Armenian fedayi Armenian revolutionaries Armenian Revolutionary Federation politicians Armenian people of World War I Russian military personnel of World War I Armenian expatriates in Iran People of the Persian Constitutional Revolution