Lessons from a momentous decision
Julius Caesar (100-44 B.C.), one of Rome’s greatest military leaders, was commanding the Roman legions in Gaul (modern-day France), when he had the ambition to become the ruler of Rome. Fearing his power, the Roman Senate ordered him to break up his army. Caesar refused.
In 49 B.C., he led his forces to the edge of the city, to the banks of the Rubicon River. He knew that anyone hoping to cross the Rubicon into Rome needed special permission from the Senate. Without that, the act meant a declaration of war. After a moment of consideration, Caesar ordered his army to cross. This marked Caesar’s first step toward leadership of Rome. Ever since, the expression “to cross the Rubicon” has come to signify a momentous decision—taking a daring step.
Momentous decisions can make or break us. They carry deep implications that can shape the destiny of individuals and nations.
The declaration of the independence of Armenia on May 28, 1918 was one such momentous decision that changed the course of Armenian history. Just three years after the genocide in Western Armenia, enemies once again threatened Armenians in their homeland. In May 1918, Turkish forces encircled the region of Yerevan, determined to destroy ‘the Armenian remnant.’
Surrounded by mortal foes, with no avenues to escape, the Armenian people made a critical decision. They decided not to surrender but to take a heroic stand. By doing so, they stopped the Turkish invasion. The creation of the Republic of Armenia 107 years ago, born out of the threat of annihilation, was a miracle.
Such a momentous decision prompts observations and teaches us some lessons.
First, making momentous decisions is not always easy. It is true that God honored humanity with the gift of free will. But not all decisions are equal, and snap ones can ruin our lives; therefore, people have to weigh the consequences. This is true not only for individuals, but also for communities and nations.
In the fifth century A.D., the Persian king, Yazdegerd II, ordered Armenians to renounce Christianity and adopt Zoroastrianism. Armenians were to choose their own destiny. The challenge was, in the words of the prophet, “Choose ye this day whom ye will serve.” Our ancestors were aware of the weight and seriousness of their decision, as they dared to cross their Rubicon and defy the ultimatum, declaring, “From this faith, no one can shake us.”
Likewise, on May 28, 1918, in Tbilisi, Georgia, the Armenian National Council was fully aware of the gravity of its decision when it declared the independence of Armenia. After months of retreats in the face of Turkish advances, Armenians stopped running. They decided “to die with weapons in hand” because they dared to cross the Rubicon. In the battles of Bash Abaran, Kara Kilisa and particularly Sardarabad, the outnumbered and outgunned Armenian soldiers, irregulars, peasants and ordinary folk fought back with great determination and halted the Turkish army.
Second, it takes a venture of faith to make a momentous decision. In difficult times, these bold leaps imply complete trust in God.
People of faith are not complacent; they are determined to change the present and ready to pull up their stakes any moment. They are always in tension between what could be, ought to be and what is. When people of faith embark upon ventures that change the course of their lives, these moments become turning points—watersheds in the stories of individuals, communities and nations.
In May 1918, the Armenian troops were commanded by General Tovmas Nazarbekian, a seasoned Armenian general from the Russian Caucasus Army. He assigned General Dro (Dramastad Kanayan) to defend Bash Abaran and General Silikian to lead the defense of Sardarabad.
When the invading Turkish forces approached Sardarabad and reached the outskirts of Etchmiadzin—just a few miles from Yerevan—the Catholicos of all Armenians, Kevork V, called the Brotherhood of Etchmiadzin to prayer. He inspired them to stand firm, recalling the courage of Catholicos Hovsep I during the Vartanantz War. One of his young bishops, Bishop Karekin Hovsepiantz (later Catholicos of the Holy See in Cilicia), became the new Ghevont Yeretz in the Battle of Sardarabad.
As the Turks closed in, General Silikian made an emotional appeal to the Armenian populace to rise and defend their homeland. Field commanders Pirumian and Pashaian coordinated the operation.
The Armenian army took the enemy by surprise. Unable to sustain the heavy bombardments, the Turks began to retreat. Silikian’s forces pursued them beyond Sardarabad and drove them towards Hamamlu (modern-day Spitak). The victory brought tremendous excitement to the Armenian masses as they pushed the enemy beyond Armenian borders.
Thanks to the faith, dedication and sacrifices of thousands of heroes and martyrs, God granted us the Republic of Armenia—a beacon of hope and a guarantee of our national survival.
Rev. Dr. Vahan Tootikian
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