File 5655/1918 Pt 2 'Mesopotamia: Refugee Camp at Baqubah (1920 – papers)' [‎440v] (891/946)

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Both classes were free from national aspirations and on that account escaped the Armenian
- massacres of 1895 and 1896. They remembered however with gratitude what the British Govern
ment had accomplished for them at the time of the Bedr Khan massacres of 1840, and in time of
stress always looked to H.B.M’s. Consuls at Van and Mosul for support.
In the autumn of 1913 a Russian Emissary toured the Assyrian tribal districts, distributing
lavish gifts and promising modern rifles for the acceptancy of Orthodoxy.
So for many years past these Assyrians had cherished the hope that eit her the English or
Russians would set them free from the oppressions under which they were su ffering ; and it was
only natural, therefore, that when War broke out their sympathies would be with the Allies as
against the Turks.
Consequently in May, 1915, when the Russians advanced to Julamerk, they were persuaded to
attack the Turks, as a result of overtures and promises made to them by the Russian Commander.
They naturally thought the Russians intended holding Julamerk and supporting them. Instead
of this they were told a few days later that the Russians intended to withdraw. This meant their
destruction. Accordingly they asked the Russian Commander for three days in which to collect
their people for the evacuation of their country or at least that arms and ammunition be given them
in sufficient quantity to defend themselves. The requests were refused, the Russian Force withdrew
and the Turks attacked the Assyrians in strength. After six months of severe fighting, these moun
taineers, with their women and children, exhausted, destitute and without ammunition were driven
from their homes into North Western Persia.
The lurks then proceeded to lay waste their country and everv village was destroyed.
-A-lthough the Assyrians regarded this act of the Russians as a breach of good faith between
Allies nevertheless they again agreed, after their arrival in Persia, to assist the Russians, who
called on them for their services in that country. Two battalions of these Mountaineers were
organized and placed under Russian Officers, and became an integral part of the Russian Army.
Patrhrch 10ther batta An extra allowance of pay granted to soldiers involved in special field service or to public servants on special duty. 1011 WaS formed whic h was under the special command of the Assyrian
These b^taflons were in active service under Russian direction against the Turks and Kurds
until the dissolution of the Russian Army : and during the early part of 1918 formed part of the
Ii i egular force (still commanded however by Russian Officers) that defended the Plains of Urumieh
and Salmas and held the Turks in check on the frontier.
In fourteen distinct engagements, between March and July. 1918, they defeated every force that
a 5 am ^ D 61 "' ' n co " Junction with the Armenians. Eventually attacked simultaneously
> l utks, Kurds and Persians, the position of the Armenians and Assyrians about Urumieh became
hopeless, and the flight to the British commenced late in July.
(C). THE CHRISTIANS OF URUMIEH.
plaint 13 nOW necessary t0 touch briefly on the unhappy position of the Christians in the Urumieh
In the year 1897 a Russian Orthodox Mission appeared in Urumieh and promised Political
Suppoit to all who would accept Orthodoxy. With the exception of the few adherents of the
nrnfprF 111 Fr f ench f Mi f slons a11 Assyrians of the Urumieh plains enrolled, but the expected
Plffins contiWd 0 to be T 1 f t0 C ° me ’ and Until the year 1907 the Christians of the
plains continued to be a contented and prosperous community of cultivators, living on friendlv terms
wi i their Persian masters and suffering only an occasional raid from the Border Kurds.
Be^ndphV^ timG S u m * I Ur oL Sh lr ° 0pS r Crossed the Persian frontier, and with the assistance of the
Begzadeh Kurds expelled the Christians from the district of Tergawar. The Turks continued their
a vance on to the plains of Urumieh arousing Russian suspicion and with the result that the Consular
tS. 353SS5SS3SS4. ” i ” a c “™ "*■<■ ••■"- 1 * «*
grossly insulted the Officer-in-charge. The repatriation scheme was then for the moment abandoned
, the ma Jonty of the Christians settled on the Urumieh plains until the year 1915, when an over
whelming Russian Army compelled the Kurds to vacate the district
the oMhe 0 " pL^in Z^ha^oT^ LiT^' ”'“1
h'mdeT''t < (th h0r !l >X ' B '® h " P ' , Thls Iatter natur ally supported the Christians who in' co'i'sequence
population administration) over, and made themselves generally unpleasant towards the Moslto
Such is briefly the history of the Christians of the Urumieh plains uo to autumn iqij. u
prior to the declaration of war between Russia and Turkey a string force ^f CL\ ^
Uramteh Thfch" t 0rder ’f b ,h mt l S ” eral Christian villages'and attacked the Russian tfoopTat
defence of thet^KZ'JZVTe **"
k M n of 1 ef ^
killed or died of disease while imprisoned in the American Mission Their homes tere de^^n
was done cSy by e pe”Tan~S,um heir ” Vi0 ' a,ed ' ^ « irlS “ captives Th£
evac“h J o'n 1 whe S „ a mo t s h t e of r Te C Anmrica 0 n MissTonarie's‘l^t RUSSia " S AugUSt by a second