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IDEOLOGICAL TRANSFORMATIONS IN THE ARMENIAN QUESTION. A BRIEF OVERVIEW
Abstract
This study aims to trace the ideological transformation from the idea of reforms and autonomy for Armenia to the creation of an independent state, spanning approximately 40 years - from the internationalization of the Armenian Question in 1878 to the signing of the Treaty of Sèvres in 1920. The research was conducted through the study and analysis of scientific literature, archival materials, published documents, as well as the memoirs of contemporaries. The research materials were covered using the historical-comparative method and based on the principle of historicity. During this period, the question of Armenia’s status evolved significantly. From a question of reforms and autonomy, it grew into a question of restoring independent statehood. The Armenian Question was put forward with the aim of improving the situation of Western Armenians, guaranteeing their security and providing a certain political and legal status. Armenian aspirations were aimed at creating autonomy for Armenia, which would eventually lead to independence. Initially, it seemed impossible to achieve independence, with Ottoman Turkey on one side and the Russian Empire on the other, each of which opposed Armenia’s independence. However, the collapse of the Russian and Turkish empires in World War I opened up the real possibility of restoring an independent Armenia. If the restoration of Armenia’s independence seemed impossible in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it became a reality in the final stages of World War I. The study shows that ideas are often subject to change as a result of unexpected developments in the global political situation.
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