The Anti-Bolshevik February Uprising of 1921 in Armenia: Historical Lessons and Consequences

Relevance of the Study. Despite the defeat and the occupation of Armenia by Russian troops, the February Uprising of 1921 became one of the brightest episodes in the Armenian people’s struggle for state independence. In modern conditions, the heroism of the rebels contributes to the activation of decommunization processes in the country, inspiring society to establish historical truth and justice in the name of future generations and the prosperity of Armenia. The aim of the article is the authors’ attempt to briefly highlight the history of the anti-Soviet February Uprising of 1921 in Armenia, to identify its historical lessons and consequences in the Armenian people’s liberation struggle for their own statehood in the 20th century. Methods. The article is based on the principles of historicism, impartiality, and multifactorality. For presenting the material, the authors used historical-comparative, problem-chronological, descriptive-narrative, retrospective methods, as well as the method of source criticism. Results. Using various historical sources and literature, the authors have highlighted the history of the anti-Soviet February Uprising of 1921 in Armenia. The role of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation «Dashnaktsutyun» in organizing and carrying out the armed uprising in February 1921 is examined, as well as the participation of the leaders of the underground Committee for the Salvation of the Fatherland (CSF) in the heroic struggle for Armenia’s state independence. Attention is drawn to the fact that on territories liberated from Bolshevik occupiers, the authority of the Democratic Republic of Armenia (DRA) was restored, and the CSF acted as the country’s provisional government. The course of military operations and the reasons for the defeat of the February nationwide uprising of 1921 in Armenia are analyzed. Conclusions. The authors of this article view the history of the February Uprising of 1921 as a heroic and at the same time tragic page in the Armenian people’s struggle for Armenia’s state independence during the specified period. It is emphasized that until Armenia achieved state independence in August 1991, Soviet historiography deliberately silenced, falsified, and distorted the role and significance of the February Uprising in Armenia’s modern history. It has been established that the defeat of the uprising was significantly influenced by Armenia’s isolation, territorial claims against it from Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Turkey, the significant numerical and military-technical superiority of the Russian army, and the absence of promised assistance from Western countries and Armenia’s neighbors.