In July 1922 in Tiflis, in the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic, a man walking down the steps of a public building was approached by three men who emptied revolvers into him without a word, then turned and fled. tanding nearby at the time was the soon-to-be notorious Lavrenty Beria, brutal head of the Cheka, or Georgian Communist secret police. As the echoes of the gunshots died away, Beria turned to a friend and muttered “Eda dashnaksi terror”, meaning, “It is the Armenians”.

The Resistance at Van was an insurgency against the Ottoman Empire's attempts to eliminate the Armenian population in the vilayet of Van. Based mostly in the city of Van, it was one of the few instances during the Armenian Genocide when Armenians, in an act of self-defense, fought against the Ottoman Empire's armed forces. The fighting lasted from April 19, 1915 until May 4 of that year, when the Ottoman army retreated as Russian forces approached the city.

History

During the late Ottoman period, Van was an important center of Armenian cultural, social, and economic life. Khrimian Hayrik established a printing press in Van, and thereafter launched "Artsiv Vaspurakan" (Eagle of Vaspourakan), which was the first periodical publication in Armenia. In 1885, the Armenakan party was established in the city of Van. Soonafter, the Hnchak and Dashnak parties established branches in the city.