YEREVAN, Armenia — The American University of Armenia College of Humanities and Social Sciences is pleased to share that Assistant Professor Dr. Naira Sahakyan has published a new research article in the Scopus-indexed journal Revolutionary Russia.
The article, titled “Armenian Intellectuals’ Debates on the Formula ‘Peace without Annexations’ and the Destiny of Turkish Armenia after the 1917 Russian Revolution,” explores Armenian intellectuals’ responses to the call for “peace without annexations,” focusing on the ideological diversity among Armenian political factions and their positions on the future of Turkish Armenia.
Amid the turmoil of World War I and the collapse of the Russian Empire, Armenian intellectuals and political figures debated Lenin’s proposal within the broader context of socialism and national security.
Drawing on Armenian- and Russian-language periodicals, primarily published in Tiflis and Baku, the study analyzes the varied perspectives of prominent Armenian political factions, examining how they navigated ideological commitments to peace and national priorities.
Reflecting on the study, Dr. Sahakyan remarked, “My analysis demonstrates that while some socialist thinkers viewed an immediate end to the war as essential, Armenian intellectuals, particularly Dashnaks, Specificists, and Mshakists, largely opposed Lenin’s policy, fearing it would lead to Turkish Armenia’s reabsorption by the Ottoman Empire. Overall, Armenian intellectuals, including some Bolsheviks, expressed reservations about Lenin’s approach, aligning with the ‘defensist’ view. This article highlights the complex interplay between the ‘peace without annexations’ formula and local national concerns, revealing how Armenian intellectuals grappled with the Left’s approach through the prism of Turkish Armenia’s fate.”
Dr. Sahakyan’s work contributes to broader scholarship on the Russian Revolution, nationalism, and the political thought of the South Caucasus during the early twentieth century.
Founded in 1991, the American University of Armenia (AUA) is a private, independent university located in Yerevan, Armenia, affiliated with the University of California, and accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission in the United States. AUA provides local and international students with Western-style education through top-quality undergraduate and graduate degree and certificate programs, promotes research and innovation, encourages civic engagement and community service, and fosters democratic values.