1. Founding of the 3 Armenian Political Parties

2. Enlightenment (Renaissance of the Armenian People
Zartonk (awakening)
Education and awareness over a period of 300 years
Led to an ever increasing resentment and active revolt of the Armenian people against the Ottoman leaders during the mid to late 1800’s
Became a Revolutionary Movement formally organized under the leadership of 3 political parties in the late 1800’s
Հայ ազգային-ազատագրական շարժում
Lets review first.
Hay azgayin azatagrakan sharzhum
Review of building blocks
1862
Zeitun, Zankezur, and Van.

3. Հայ ազգային-ազատագրական շարժում
The movement was principally led by three political parties all founded in the late 1800’s:
Armenian Democratic Liberal Party (Ramgavar Party, originally known as the Armenakan)
Social Democrat Hunchakian Party
Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnak - ARF)
Hay azgayin azatagrakan sharzhum
Effort to re-establish an Armenian state in historic Western Armenia
Before going in to a summary of the parties I want to review some of what we learned last year.
These are the building blocks that led to this revolutionary movement of Armenians against their ottoman rulers.

4. Building Blocks – Israel Ori 1658 - 1711
Israel Ori (Armenian: Իսրայել Օրի) (1658–1711) was a prominent figure of the Armenian national liberation movement and a diplomat that sought the liberation of Armenia from Persia and the Ottoman Empire via Russia.

5. Building Block – David Bek ? - 1728
David Bek (Armenian: Դավիթ Բեկ) (?-1728) was an Armenian military commander and one of the most prominent military figures of the Armenian liberation movement of the 18th century directed against the forces of Ottoman Empire and Safavid Iran.[1] In , with direct support from Mkhitar Sparapet in Syunik and Avan Yuzbashi in Karabakh, David Bek headed the armed struggle of Syunik and Artsakh Armenians against Safavid Iran.[citation needed] In Armenians under the leadership of David Bek went to war with Turkish armies at Halidsor and had showed great military competence and valor by defeating them easily.

6. Building Block – Joseph Emin 1726 - 1809
Joseph (Calcutta), was a prominent figure of the Armenian national liberation movement who travelled to various European countries and Russia in order to secure support for the liberation of Armenia from Persia and the Ottoman Empire. Emin resolved to dedicate his life to the liberation of Armenia. When he came into contact with the British military in Calcutta, he realized that the Armenians needed both education and skill in the contemporary Western art of warfare if they hoped to regain independence.
Helped tranisition from a focus of religious freedom (christians versus moslems) to one of national freedom (autonomy – self rule)
Looked to Russia.

7. Building Block – Mekhitarist Monks 1717 - Present
The Mechitarists (Armenian: Մխիթարեաններ, also spelled Mekhitarists), are a congregation of Benedictine monks of the Armenian Catholic Church founded in 1717 by Abbot Mechitar of Sebastia. They are best known for their series of scholarly publications of ancient Armenian versions of otherwise lost ancient Greek texts and their research on classical and modern Armenian language.
They were instrumental in reviving the interest of Armenians in the ancient treasures they had neglected for centuries and enabled Armenians to reconnect with their forgotten heritage, to discover its riches and thus take pride in the achievement of their forefathers. It was a period of enlightenment, knowledge, progress and new found dignity in the 19th century. It is this period that both Armenian and non-Armenian scholars have aptly called the "Armenian Renaissance", attributing its emergence to the actions, scholarly activities and dedication of the Mekhitarist Fathers.
Madras Armenians merchants financing.

8. Building Block – Khachadour Abovian 1809 - 1848
Khachatur Abovian was an Armenian writer, adventurer, and national public figure of the early 19th century who mysteriously vanished in 1848 and was presumed dead. He was an educator, poet and an advocate of modernization – what mountain did he climb?
Considered as the father of modern Armenian literature, he is best remembered for his novel Verk Hayastani (Wounds of Armenia), which was the first novel published in the modern Armenian language using the Eastern Armenian dialect instead of Classical Armenian.
Abovian was a revolutionary with the temperament of a martyr. “All I wan,” he once declared, “is to give my life to my beloved country; to serve her as long as there is breath in my mouth.”
The historical novel Wounds of Armenia (written in 1841, first published in 1858) was the first Armenian secular novel dedicated to the fate of the Armenian people and its struggle for liberation in the period of Russo-Persian war of 1826–1828.[18] The novel dealt with the suffering of Armenians under Persian occupation. The basic concept of the novel was the assertion of feelings of national merit, patriotism and hatred of oppressors. These themes had a profound influence on wide layers of Armenian society. The hero of the novel, Agassi, personifies the freedom-loving national spirit and its will to fight against the foreign conquerors. "Give away your life, but never give away your native lands," is the motto of Agassi and his partisan friends. The story begins with an abduction of an Armenian girl by a band of thugs sent by the Persian sardar that triggers an uprising led by Agassi.

9. Building Block – Raffi 1835 - 1888
Raffi was a prolific writer. His works were published in the newspapers Mshak and Ardzakank.
"The Fool", played an important role in awakening the Armenian people from the lethargy that had overcome the majority of them since the loss of Armenian independence at the end of the 14th century. Raffi’s patriotic writings were read by virtually all Armenian youth of the time and of subsequent generations. In his novels, Raffi depicted characters of national heroes and Armenian revolutionaries. In fact, there is a well-known Armenian phrase that goes: "there are no Armenian freedom fighters (Feddayines) that have not read Raffi".
Raffi considered that teaching the population the Armenian language was a fundamental and vital measure, but he felt they were bereft of a secular literature attractive enough to help realize that goal. It was to fill that void that he set out from 1874 to 1888 to create a complete and varied body of fiction. It was through these works that generations of Armenians learned to read Armenian, became acquainted with their history, and acquired the critical standards by which they could assess their lives and society.

10. Building Block – Khrimian Hayrik 1820 - 1907
Mkrtich Khrimian (Armenian: Մկրտիչ Խրիմեան; April 4, 1820 – October 27, 1907), also known as Khrimian Hayrik (Armenian: Խրիմեան Հայրիկ), was an Armenian writer, newspaper editor, and political and religious leader. He served as the Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople (1869–1873), Prelate of Van (1880–1885) and Catholicos of All Armenians (1892–1907). He devoted his life to the betterment of the Armenian people, especially the peasantry in eastern Anatolia. He gave a very famous sermon where he said; In Berlin the European diplomats had placed on the table a 'dish of liberty.' The Bulgarians, Serbs and others had taken their portions of the tasty Harissa with their iron ladles; but the Armenians had only a paper ladle which collapsed when they tried to partake.
He was representative of the new fighting spirit of the age. It was he who helped educate a generation of young men who wanted to participate in the nations struggle for freedom – which eventually led to uprising and the formation of the political parties.

11. The 3 Primary Political Parties
Armenakan (Ramgavar) Party: Founded in 1885
Social Democrat Hunchakian Party: Founded in 1887
Armenian Revolutionary Federation: Founded in 1890.
All these individuals elevated the Armenian people to understand their plight and started to organize as formal political groups – smaller initially and grew.
What is a political party?
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns and educational outreach or protest actions. Parties often espouse an expressed ideology or vision bolstered by a written platform with specific goals, forming a coalition among disparate interests.

12. Armenakan Established in Van by Mekertich Portukalian in 1885
Its purpose was to “…win for the Armenian the right to rule over themselves through revolution…”
It restricted membership to Armenians only
Focused on education and self defense.
Focused activities primarily in Van. Did not expand much beyond that.
The party later morphed in the Ramgavar’s
Active around van and did not expand beyond that

13. Hunchak
It was founded in 1887 by 7 college students in Geneva, Switzerland
Goal was to gain Armenia's independence from the Ottoman Empire with revolutionary activity in Turkish Armenia.
Its name is taken from its newspaper Hunchak, meaning "Clarion" or "Bell" in English, and is taken by party members to represent "a call for enlightenment and freedom.”
Centralized structure
Centralized organization
Difficult for diapora to communicate. Centralization was impediment

14. Armenian Revolutionary Federation
Հայ Յեղափոխականների Դաշնակցութիւն
The Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) was founded in Tiflis in 1890
The founders were Christapor Mikaelian, Stepan Zorian, and Simon Zavarian.
Aim of unifying small groups that were advocating for reform and defending Armenian villages from massacres in the Ottoman empire.
Decentralized structure
Հայ Յեղափոխական Դաշնակցութիւն
Decentralized – hunchak was part of it.
In the late 19th century, Eastern Europe and Russia became the hub of small groups advocating reform in Armenian-populated areas in the Ottoman Empire.
All three parties are still active today.
New parties have been created in modern Armenia
Of the three original parties the ARF is the strongest and most active both in the diaspora and Armenia