Drastamat Kanayan (; 31 May 1884 8 March 1956), better known as Dro (), was an Armenian military commander and politician. He was a member of the

Armenian Revolutionary Federation The Armenian Revolutionary Federation (, abbr. ARF (ՀՅԴ) or ARF-D), also known as Dashnaktsutyun (Armenians, Armenian: Դաշնակցություն, Literal translation, lit. "Federation"), is an Armenian nationalism, Armenian nationalist a ...

. He briefly served as

Defence Minister A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divid ...

of the

First Republic of Armenia The First Republic of Armenia, officially known at the time of its existence as the Republic of Armenia, was an independent History of Armenia, Armenian state that existed from May (28th ''de jure'', 30th ''de facto'') 1918 to 2 December 1920 in ...

in 1920, during the country's brief independence. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, he led the

Armenian Legion The Armenian Legion (; ) was a military unit in the Wehrmacht, German Army during World War II. It primarily consisted of Red Army, Soviet Armenians, who wanted to fight the Soviets for an independent Armenia and commanded by General Drastamat Kan ...

, which consisted of Armenian POWs who opted to fight for Nazi Germany rather than face the brutal conditions of the Nazis' camps.

Early life

Drastamat Kanayan was born in Igdyr (present-day

Iğdır Iğdır (; or ; ; or ) is a city in the Eastern Anatolia Region of Turkey. It is the seat of Iğdır Province and Iğdır District.

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

) in the

Surmalu uezd The Surmalu ''uezd'' was a county (''uezd'') of the Erivan Governorate of the Caucasus Viceroyalty of the Russian Empire. It bordered the governorate's Etchmiadzin and Erivan uezds to the north, the Kars Oblast to the west, Persia to the east ...

of the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

in 1884. He was the son of Martiros Kanayan, the head of the Kanayan clan in Igdir, and his wife, Horom. At an early age, Martiros enrolled his son to the parish school of Igdir. Drastamat would skip school, preferring to visit the military barracks of Igdir because of his interest in its military exercises. Igdir at the time was an important military post where between 8,000 and 10,000 Russian troops were stationed (including infantry, Cossacks, cavalry and border guards). Most of the inhabitants of the village thrived by trading with the soldiers. Noticing that his son had no interest in books and learning, Martiros pulled him out of the village school and enrolled him to the

Yerevan Yerevan ( , , ; ; sometimes spelled Erevan) is the capital and largest city of Armenia, as well as one of the world's List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerev ...

Gymnasium school. Drastamat was no better in the Gymnasium school as the grades he achieved were barely enough for a promotion. Like all government schools in the provinces of Russia, there was a policy of

Russification Russification (), Russianisation or Russianization, is a form of cultural assimilation in which non-Russians adopt Russian culture and Russian language either voluntarily or as a result of a deliberate state policy. Russification was at times ...

that limited education in the

Armenian language Armenian (endonym: , , ) is an Indo-European languages, Indo-European language and the sole member of the independent branch of the Armenian language family. It is the native language of the Armenians, Armenian people and the official language of ...

to religion only. Inspired by stories of General Andranik's triumphs in the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

and the spread of nationalism by the

(ARF), Drastamat joined a secret youth movement in his school that opposed the tsar's government and promoted

Armenian nationalism Armenian nationalism in the modern period has its roots in the romantic nationalism of Mikayel Chamchian (1738–1823) and generally defined as the creation of a free, independent and united Armenia formulated as the Armenian Cause ( ). Armenia ...

Edict on Armenian church property and Armenian-Tatar clashes

On 12 June 1903, the tsarist authorities passed an edict to bring all Armenian Church property under imperial control. This was faced by strong Armenian opposition because it perceived the tsarist edict as a threat to the Armenian national existence. As a result, the Armenian leadership decided to actively defend Armenian churches by dispatching militiamen who acted as guards and holding mass demonstrations. This prompted Drastamat to join the ranks of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation in order to defend churches from confiscation through public demonstrations and guard duty. In May 1905, using a bomb he carried out the assassination of the governor of

Baku Baku (, ; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Azerbaijan, largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and in the Caucasus region. Baku is below sea level, which makes it the List of capital ci ...

, Prince Mikhail Nakashidze, whom the ARF blamed for inciting Tatar attacks against Armenians in Baku. During the Armenian–Tatar clashes of 1905–1906, Dro participated in the organization of Armenian defense militias in the regions of Kotayk, Nakhijevan, and Zangezur. In 1907, Dro assassinated Tsarist general

Maksud Alikhanov Maksud Alikhanov-Avarsky (Russian language: Максуд Алиханов-Аварский) (in some documents his name is spelled as Alexander Mikhailovich) (23 November 1846 – 3 July 1907) was a Russian military figure who governed parts of ...

Alexandropol Gyumri (, ) is an urban municipal community and the List of cities and towns in Armenia, second-largest city in Armenia, serving as the administrative center of Shirak Province in the northwestern part of the country. By the end of the 19th centur ...

. Prior to the

Russian Revolution The Russian Revolution was a period of Political revolution (Trotskyism), political and social revolution, social change in Russian Empire, Russia, starting in 1917. This period saw Russia Dissolution of the Russian Empire, abolish its mona ...

, Dro had killed more than one Russian official.

World War I

He served as detachment commander in the Russian Caucasus Army during World War I. He was one of the commanders of the

Armenian volunteer units The Armenian volunteer units ( ''Hay kamavorakan jokatner'') were units composed of Armenia within the Imperial Russian Army during World War I. Composed of several groups at battalion strength. The Russian-Armenian volunteer units took part in ...

and was decorated by the Tsar. General Kanayan second battalion 1915

In November 1914, he commanded the second battalion of the Armenian volunteers. The second battalion of the Armenian volunteers engaged in battle for the first time near Bayazid during the

Bergmann Offensive The Bergmann Offensive (; in Turkish literature , "Battles of Köprüköy and Azap"; in Russian literature —"Köprüköy operation") was the first engagement of the Caucasus Campaign. The first battle after the Russians took Bayazet during W ...

. In the course of a bloody combat which lasted twenty-four hours, Dro, commander of the battalion, was seriously wounded. From that day to March of the following year, he remained in critical condition, but his battalion participated in eleven battles near Alashkert and Tutak, until Dro recovered and returned to resume the command. Kanayan had already become a popular military leader after the victories over the

at the

Caucasus Campaign The Caucasus campaign comprised armed conflicts between the Russian Empire and the Ottoman Empire, later including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, the Mountainous Republic of the Northern Caucasus, the German Empire, the Central Caspian Dict ...

. Between March 1918 and April 1918 he was appointed by the Armenian National Council military commissar to the

occupation of Turkish Armenia The occupation of Western Armenia by the Russian Empire during World War I began in 1915 and was formally ended by the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. It was sometimes referred to as the Republic of Van by Armenians. Aram Manukian of the Armenian Revo ...

of the Ararat region. He was the commander of the Armenian forces in the Battle of Bash Abaran. The Armenian victories at Bash Abaran, Karakilisa, and Sardarabad stopped the advance of the Ottoman Army and are credited with preventing the destruction of the Armenian nation and allowing the creation of the

First Republic of Armenia

Dro was one of the chief military commanders of the First Republic of Armenia. He commanded Armenian forces during the brief

Armeno-Georgian War The Armeno-Georgian War was a short border dispute that was fought in December 1918 between the newly independent Democratic Republic of Georgia and the First Republic of Armenia, largely over the control of former districts of the Tiflis Gover ...

in December 1918 over the disputed Borchaly ( Lori) and

Akhalkalaki Akhalkalaki ( ka, ახალქალაქი, tr ; ) is a town in Georgia (country), Georgia's southern region of Samtskhe–Javakheti and the administrative centre of the Akhalkalaki Municipality. Akhalkalaki lies on the edge of the Javakheti ...

''uezds'' ("counties").

Armenian–Azerbaijani War

During much of 1919, Dro and his army fought Ottoman-backed insurrections by Muslims against the First Republic of Armenia, defending the area south of Yerevan in what is now

Ararat Province Ararat (, ) is a administrative divisions of Armenia, province (''marz (territorial entity), marz'') of Armenia. Its capital and largest city is the town of Artashat, Armenia, Artashat. The province is named after the biblical Mount Ararat. It i ...

of Armenia. In December 1919, Dro went to

Goris Goris ( ) is a town and the centre of the Goris Municipality in the Syunik Province in southern Armenia. Located in the valley of the Goris (or Vararak) River, it is 254 kilometres from the Armenian capital Yerevan and 67 kilometres from the provi ...

with a force of 600 soldiers with the intention of establishing Armenian control over the Syunik and

Nagorno-Karabakh Nagorno-Karabakh (, ; ) is a region in Azerbaijan, covering the southeastern stretch of the Lesser Caucasus mountain range. Part of the greater region of Karabakh, it spans the area between Lower Karabakh and Syunik Province, Syunik. Its ter ...

regions, which were fiercely disputed between Armenia and Azerbaijan. In a short amount of time, Dro, along with

Garegin Nzhdeh Garegin Ter-Harutyunyan, better known by his ''nom de guerre'' Garegin Nzhdeh (, ; 1 January 1886 – 21 December 1955), was an Armenian statesman, military commander and nationalist revolutionary. As a member of the Armenian Revolutionary Fed ...

and other commanders, drove out the Azerbaijani army and expelled most of the Turkic-speaking Muslims from Syunik, solidifying Armenian control over the region. On the night from 21–22 March 1920, when the Azerbaijanis were celebrating Novruz Bayram, the Armenians of Artsakh revolted and organized a surprise attack. During these clashes thousands of people from both the Armenian and Azerbaijani sides were killed, with more than 7,000 houses burned and Shushi virtually cleansed of its Armenian population. Dro, who had not expected the Armenian uprising, arrived in Artsakh only in April, when many Armenian villages had already been destroyed by the Azerbaijani army. On 27 April 1920, the Red Army invaded Azerbaijan and established a Soviet government there. The leadership of the Red Army demanded that Dro and his army leave Artsakh and Syunik. Dro knew that if he did not comply with this demand the Red Army and the armed forces of Azerbaijan would act jointly against Armenia and the Armenians of Artsakh. Dro withdrew from Artsakh after he was given assurances by the emissaries of Bolshevik leader

Sergo Ordzhonikidze Sergo Konstantinovich Ordzhonikidze, ; (born Grigol Konstantines dze Orjonikidze; 18 February 1937) was an Old Bolshevik and a Soviet statesman. Born and raised in Georgia, in the Russian Empire, Ordzhonikidze joined the Bolsheviks at an e ...

regarding a just solution to the Artsakh conflict.Richard G. Hovannisian, "Historical Memory and Armenian-Azerbaijani Relations", ''The Armenian Perspective'', 14 September 2000 On 26 May 1920, the 10th Congress of the Armenian National Council of Karabakh, which took place in Taghavard village, proclaimed the establishment of Soviet power in Artsakh. The Armenian National Council of Artsakh was replaced with the Revolutionary Committee of Nagorno-Artsakh, headed by

Sargis Hambardzumyan Sargis "Sako" Isahaki Hаmbardzumyan (; 1870–1944) was a Soviet Armenian politician and professional revolutionary of the Bolshevik Party. Born in Shusha, Shushi in 1870, he joined the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party in 1903. He partici ...

. That same day, Kanayan left Artsakh with his units and withdrew to Syunik. In the July 1920, Dro and Minister of Defence

Ruben Ter Minasian Ruben Ter Minasian (; 1882–1951) was an Armenian politician and revolutionary of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) who played an important role in the Armenian national liberation movement and later in the First Republic of Armenia. ...

led a campaign against Ottoman-backed Muslim rebels supported by Azerbaijan in the Vedibasar and Zangibasar districts (around modern-day Vedi and Masis, respectively), resettling Armenian refugees in the abandoned Muslim villages. In August 1920, Dro's forces engaged in skirmishes with the Red Army, which made attempts to advance into Syunik. Despite some initial success, Dro was forced to leave

to the Red Army and withdraw to Daralayaz (modern-day

Vayots Dzor Vayots Dzor (, ) is a province (''marz'') of Armenia. It lies at the southeastern end of the country, bordering the Nakhchivan exclave of Azerbaijan to the west and the Kalbajar District of Azerbaijan to the east. It covers an area of . With a p ...

Turkish–Armenian War and Sovietization of Armenia

On 24 September 1920, Kâzım Karabekir's army invaded Armenia. Dro commanded the defence of his native district Surmalu. Although Dro successfully defended Surmalu, the fall of Kars and the further advance of Karabekir's army forced Dro's army to retreat to the other side of the

Arax River The Aras is a transboundary river in the Caucasus. It rises in eastern Turkey and flows along the borders between Turkey and Armenia, between Turkey and the Nakhchivan exclave of Azerbaijan, between Iran and both Azerbaijan and Armenia, and, fin ...

into modern-day Armenia on November 12. From 24 November to 2 December 1920, Kanayan was the

of Armenia. On 30 November 1920, Soviet Russia issued an ultimatum to the leadership of Armenia to peacefully hand over power to a Soviet government. Dro was authorized to negotiate with Soviet representative Boris Legran about the conditions of the transfer of power.Hovannisian, ''The Republic of Armenia, Vol. IV'', p. 384. Dro ordered the Armenian army not to show resistance against the Red Army if it advanced into Armenia. He was one of the signatories of the declaration of the transfer of power to a Soviet government made by the government of Armenia on 2 December 1920, which also declared Dro de facto leader of Armenia pending the arrival of the Revolutionary Committee of Armenia to Yerevan. Dro remained in the country and remained commander of Soviet Armenia's army until January 1921, when he was exiled to Russia along with 1,200 Armenian officers. He stayed in Moscow until 1923, and traveled in Europe before finally settling in

Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...

Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...

in 1925. Dro's second wife, Arpenik (whom he married in 1915), and their two children were sent into internal exile in Siberia and remained separated from him for the rest of his life.

World War II

During World War II, Dro was one of several members of the ARF who, without approval from the party leadership, entered negotiations with Nazi Germany with the hope of freeing Armenia of Soviet control in the event of Germany's victory over the Soviet Union. The

was formed from Armenian POWs in the Nazi POW camps who opted to fight for Germany rather than face the brutal conditions of the camps. The Legion was placed under Dro's command. The Legion was trained by Wehrmacht officers and participated in the occupation of the

Crimean Peninsula Crimea ( ) is a peninsula in Eastern Europe, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, almost entirely surrounded by the Black Sea and the smaller Sea of Azov. The Isthmus of Perekop connects the peninsula to Kherson Oblast in mainland Ukrai ...

and the

Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region spanning Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is situated between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, comprising parts of Southern Russia, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. The Caucasus Mountains, i ...

. With the end of World War II, Drastamat Kanayan was arrested by American forces in

Heidelberg Heidelberg (; ; ) is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, fifth-largest city in the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, and with a population of about 163,000, of which roughly a quarter consists of studen ...

, but soon released. After World War II, Kanayan emigrated to the United States and continued his political activities. In 1947, at the World Congress of the ARF, he was forgiven for his collaboration with Nazis and was again elected a member of the party.

Death, burial, and legacy

Dro settled with the large Armenian community in

Beirut Beirut ( ; ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, just under half of Lebanon's population, which makes it the List of largest cities in the Levant region by populatio ...

, where he lived for several years with the former prime minister of the First Republic of Armenia,

Simon Vratsian Simon Vratsian (; 1882 – 21 May 1969) was an Armenian politician and activist of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation. He was one of the leaders of the First Republic of Armenia (1918–1920) and served as its last prime minister for 10 days ...

. He returned to the United States several times for medical treatment. Dro died in

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

while there for medical treatment on 8 March 1956 and was buried there. He was survived by his third wife Gayane (whom he married in Bucharest in 1935), their son Mardiros (Martin) and Dro's stepdaughter Olga. His remains were taken to Armenia for final burial in

Aparan Aparan ( , colloquially ) is a town in the Aparan Municipality of the Aragatsotn Province of Armenia, about 50 kilometers northwest of the capital Yerevan. As of the 2011 census, the population of the town was 6,451. As per the 2016 official esti ...

, on 28 May 2000, coinciding with the commemoration of the 82nd anniversary of the First Republic of Armenia. In 2001, the

Ministry of Defence A ministry of defence or defense (see American and British English spelling differences#-ce.2C -se, spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and Mi ...

of Armenia established the Drastamat Kanayan medal, which is awarded to military personnel and civilians who excel in military instruction. In 2005, the government of Armenia founded the Drastamat Kanayan Institute for National Strategic Studies, which in 2016 became a part of the National Institute of Strategic Studies under the Ministry of Defence. A street in the

Kanaker-Zeytun District Kanaker-Zeytun () is one of the 12 districts of Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, located in the northeastern part of the city. As of the 2022 census, the population of the district is 73,834. Located on a hill overlooking the central part of Yer ...

is named after Dro.

Gallery

Image:Dro grave.JPG, Dro's mausoleum in Aparan, Armenia Image:Drastamat Kanayan mausoleum.jpg, Dro's mausoleum at night Image:General Dro's (Drastamat Kanayan's) grave in Watertown, MA.JPG, Dro's grave in

Mount Auburn Cemetery Mount Auburn Cemetery, located in Cambridge and Watertown, Massachusetts, is the first rural or garden cemetery in the United States. It is the burial site of many prominent Boston Brahmins, and is a National Historic Landmark. Dedicated in ...

Watertown, Massachusetts Watertown is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, part of Greater Boston. The population was 35,329 in the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Its neighborhoods include Bemis, Coolidge Square, East Watertown, Watertown Sq ...

(pre-reinterment in Armenia) File:Դրոյի Կիսանդրին Գյումրիում 01.jpg, Dro's bust in

Gyumri Gyumri (, ) is an urban municipal community and the List of cities and towns in Armenia, second-largest city in Armenia, serving as the administrative center of Shirak Province in the northwestern part of the country. By the end of the 19th centur ...

References

External links

Gayane Kanayan, Wife of Armenian Hero General Dro, Honored by Defense Ministry
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kanayan, Drastamat 1956 deaths 1884 births People from Erivan Governorate People from Iğdır Armenian fedayi Armenian generals Armenian nationalists Armenian people of World War I Imperial Russian Army generals Russian military personnel of World War I People from the First Republic of Armenia Ministers of defence of Armenia Armenian military personnel of the Turkish–Armenian War Armenian anti-communists Armenian collaborators with Nazi Germany Armenian people from the Russian Empire Armenian military personnel in the Imperial Russian Army of World War I