Արեւմտահայ գաղթականութեան դրութիւնը Ալեքսանդրապոլի գաւառում, 1918-1921ին
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2013
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During WWl thousands of Western Armenians living in the Ottoman Empire fled the Turkish massacres and took refuge in the border district of Alexandropole. The defeat of the Ottoman Empire gave hope to these Armenian refugees for an imminent return to their deserted homes. Nonetheless, it took time before they were allowed to return to their homeland. The District of Kars, for instance, was returned to the Armenians belatedly in May 1919. The time between the defeat of Ottoman Turkey and the handover of the Kars District was long enough to cause thousands of deaths among the refugee Armenians because of famine and diseases.
The Armenians of Alexandropole had to take care of the refugees. In December 1918 a Refugee Committee was established. It functioned till April 2, 1919 then transferred its duties to the American Near East Relief Committee. The latter, in order to control the relief work, resettled the refugees in the Poligon dormitories, on the outskirts of the Alexandropole city. The dormitories, however, became the cemeteries of thousands of Western Armenian refugees. The government of the Independent State of Armenia undertook the task of saving these refugees and sent them to the deserted villages of the Kars District. However, due to the advance of Turkish forces, most of these refugees returned to Alexandropole. Most of the refugees, who could not flee further to the north and the Caucasus, fell pray to Turkish atrocities and brutal treatment.
The condition of the Armenian refugees did not change much after the retreat of the Turks from Alexandropole Province, as it was extensively looted and could not provide relief to the refugees. One of the basic priorities of the Soviet Armenian authorities established was addressing the refugee crisis. Notwithstanding huge efforts, thousands died.
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Ալեքսանեան, Կ., «Արեւմտահայ գաղթականութեան դրութիւնը Ալեքսանդրապոլի գաւառում, 1918-1921ին», «Հայկազեան հայագիտական հանդէս», 2013, Պէյրութ, էջ 83-100