May Uprising

Since the establishment of the Republic of Armenia in 1918, the political parties and different factions, for the most part, avoided internal conflicts or rebellions against the dominant Dashnak party as the country suffered from deep economic and demographic crises and was at some point during its two-year existence at war with three of four neighboring countries (Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia). This changed after by the advance of Bolshevik forces into the South Caucasus in early 1920.[3] The Armenian Communist Party, operating in secrecy, was founded in January 1920 to fight against the "vilifying the Allied Powers and their Dashnakist 'collaborators'."[8] The uprising was mainly carried out by Bolsheviks born in Russian Armenia, as most of the Armenian refugees from the Ottoman Empire were "aloof" or "hostile" to Bolshevism.[9] Conversely, part of the Armenian army was sympathetic to the uprising, following the direction of the mutineering Captain Sargis Musayelyan who commanded the armored train named Vardan Zoravar (Armenian: Վարդան Զորավար, lit. 'General Vardan') in Alexandropol since February 1919.[10]

Encouraged by the Red Army invasion of Azerbaijan in late April 1920, the Armenian Bolsheviks headed by Avis Nurijanyan[11] staged a revolt in May.[8][12] The events preceding the revolt started on May 1, 1920, International Workers' Day, with the Bolsheviks demonstrating against the government of Armenia in capital Yerevan and other cities.[3]

The revolt escalated after the armored train Vardan Zoravar and its crew under Musayelyan's command joined the Bolshevik rebels who had formed a revolutionary committee (Armkom) and proclaimed Armenia a Soviet state in Alexandopol on May 10.[13][14][3] The Bolshevik rebels successfully took over Alexandropol, Kars and Sarikamis.[15][16] On May 5, 1920, the government (the cabinet) of Alexander Khatisian resigned and new one was formed under Hamo Ohanjanyan's leadership. It was entirely made up of Dashnak party members. The parliament gave up its rights to the government since Armenia was under state of emergency. Sebouh Nersesian was appointed commander to suppress the revolt. On May 13 his unit reached Alexandropol and by the next day the rebels left the city and the government forces entered the city and established order.[3]

The leaders of the revolt, including Sargis Musayelyan and Ghukas Ghukasyan,[14] were initially imprisoned as the Soviet government on 4 June warning that diplomatic relations would be "detrimented" if the "persecution of Communists continued" and the fact that several notable Dashnaks were imprisoned in Soviet Russia and Azerbaijan at the time.[17] Following the Soviet invasion of Zangezur and the capture and torture of Dashnaks The Communist party of Armenia was banned in Armenia.[3] Armenia's domestic situation deteoriated as the government lost its prestige among the people and hope among Allied officials.[18] After three months, the Treaty of Alexandropol was signed on December 3, effectively partitioning Armenia between Turkish and the Soviet rule. A new government in the remainder of independent Armenia then cleared the way for a new government that accomplished the purpose sought in the uprising. The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic was declared and became a constituent part of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in 1922, finally regaining its independence upon the breakup of the USSR in 1991.[19][3]

• Sovietization of Armenia
• 1920 Georgian coup attempt
• February Uprising