Arshag Nersesian (; 1872–1940), better known by his nom de guerre Sebouh or General Sebouh (), was an

Armenia Armenia, officially the Republic of Armenia, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of West Asia. It is a part of the Caucasus region and is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia (country), Georgia to the north and Azerbaijan to ...

n military commander. He was the right-hand man of General Andranik Ozanian.

Early life

He was born in 1872 in Tomna (a village north of

Bayburt Bayburt () is a city in northeast Turkey lying on the Çoruh River. It is the seat of Bayburt Province and Bayburt District.Armenian revolutionary activities while as a youth. He received his education in Trebizond (prior to World War I, that Armenian community numbered 30,000) and showed early aptitude as a craftsman. When he was twenty-years-old and working as a shoemaker in a village near Erzincan, his village was slaughtered by Turkish soldiers during the Hamidian massacres, however, he survived and swore to "kill every Turk he set his eyes on".

Revolutionary activities

In 1889, he left for

Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...

. In 1894, General Sebouh left the Social Democratic Hunchakian Party and joined the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF-Dashnaktsutyun). He later became a leader of the Dashnaktsutyun. As a member of the ARF, he became a commander under General Andranik Ozanian. In 1894, he took part in the uprisings in Sasun. Sebouh took part in battles at Tabek, Shenik and Semal, where he was later wounded. He fought in battles in Tadvan, Aghtamar Island and Van. In 1907, Sebouh participated in the ARF party congress at

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

. Sebouh and Andranik took part in battles in

Khoy Khoy (, ) is a city in the Central District (Khoy County), Central District of Khoy County, West Azerbaijan province, West Azerbaijan province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district. Occupied since Medes, Median times, ...

, Dilman, and

Salmas Salmas () is a city in the Central District of Salmas County, West Azerbaijan province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district. It is northwest of Lake Urmia, near Turkey. Etymology The original name of Salmas was ...

(

West Azerbaijan West Azerbaijan province () is one of the 31 provinces of Iran, provinces of Iran, whose capital and largest city is Urmia. It is in the Azerbaijan (Iran), northwest of the country, bordered by Turkey (Ağrı Province, Ağrı, Hakkâri Pr ...

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

) in 1914–1915. Sebouh fought in the decisive

Battle of Sardarabad The Battle of Sardarabad (; ) was a battle of the Caucasus campaign of World War I that took place near Sardarapat, Armenia, Sardarabad, Armenia, from 21 to 29 May 1918, between the regular Armenian military units and militia on one side and the ...

and later went on to help the Armenians besieged in Baku. In 1919, General Sebouh was elected to the parliament 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 ...

. General Sebouh was known for assassinating traitors, suppressing the Bolshevik uprising in May 1920, and crushing the Alexandropol Soviet.

Armenian-Turkish War

On December 20, 1920, General Sebouh took refuge in

Tiflis Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი, ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), ( ka, ტფილისი, tr ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Georgia (country), largest city of Georgia ( ...

(

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

) where he was soon joined by the majority of the members of the Dashnak bureau, who set up a liberation committee there. In

, General Sebouh assumed leadership of a force of 500 volunteers which was sent to

Armen Garo Garegin or Karekin Pastermadjian (), better known by his ''nom de guerre'' Armen Garo or Armen Karo (Արմէն Գարօ; 9 February 1872 – 23 March 1923) was an Armenian activist and politician. Armen Karo was a leading member of the Arme ...

sent General Sebouh in 1921 to

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 ...

where he joined Aharon Sachaklian. General Sebouh became the first Armenian officer to come to the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

and obtain a United States loan to rehabilitate the Armenian army. In Boston, General Sebouh was financing Soghomon Tehlirian and Operation Nemesis, which led to the assassination of Talat Pasha.

In the United States

Sebouh toured the United States as a field worker of the ARF (

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 helped to expand the ARF's presence throughout the country. He was the head of the "secret special" mission in the United States, having taken over its direction at the request of Armen Garo. In 1925, he wrote his memoir ''Edjer im housheren'' (Pages from My Memoirs).

Death

Sebouh settled permanently in Detroit, where he maintained a grocery business. In 1936 he and his family moved to New York. He died on July 31, 1940, at age 66. Sebouh's sons joined Garegin Nzhdeh's Tseghakrons (precursor to the

Armenian Youth Federation The Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) () is the youth organization of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation. Founded in 1933, the AYF became a global Armenian organization and stands on five pillars that guide its activities: Educational, Hai Tahd ...

). On November 20, 2014, the remains of General Sebouh were interred in

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 ...

's military cemetery at Yerablur. General Sebouh Yerablur

References

Sources

*Resistance and Revenge: The Armenian Assassination of the Turkish Leaders responsible for 1915 by Jacques Derogy * Like One Family: The Armenians of Syracuse by Arpena S. Mesrobian * "Armenia: The Survival of a Nation", revised second edition © 1990 Christopher J. Walker {{DEFAULTSORT:Nersesian, Sebouh Armenians from the Ottoman Empire 1872 births 1940 deaths Burials at Yerablur Emigrants from the Ottoman Empire to the United States