Krikor Amirian
Encyclopedia
Krikor Amirian was an Armenian Revolutionary, who participated in the establishment of the Democratic Republic of Armenia
.
, Turkey
. The Amirian family had been influential citizens in Bayburt
. Amirian had grown up during the Hamidian Massacres
, which was a sad period in Armenian History. In early 1895, Sultan Abdul Hamid II
ordered the extermination of specific Armenian District's in the Ottoman Empire
. He had ordered thousand's of Turkish troops to take control of Bayburt
, because Bayburt
was one of the most heavily populated Armenian cities on the Eastern side of the Ottoman Empire
. When Turkish troops had entered the city, a massive revolt erupted on October 26, 1895. After relentless fighting, the Armenian Rebels wanted to make peace with its invaders. Eryia Amirian, Amirian's father, was chosen to represent the city in order to negotiate a truce with Ottoman officials. Instead, he was shot and left on the side of a road to die. The next day, he was eventually found and given a proper burial.
Amirian had been educated at a local Armenian school in Bayburt
, and then eventually went to the Turkish Army Officer's Academy. In 1908, he graduated from the academy and was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. He had served during the First Balkan War
, which took place from 1912-1913. In early 1913, Amirian was arrested by Bulgarian soldiers and thrown in prison. In mid-1913, after the signing of the Treaty of London
, Amirian and countless other were released.
's personal bodyguard and tutor. He was also a personal friend of famed General Drastamat Kanayan
, also known as General Dro. On June 28, 1914, Gavrilo Princip
decided to make a decision that changed the map of Europe
forever by assassinating the heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Gavrilo Princip was part of the Black Hand, which was an organization that committed terrorist like acts in order to secure the freed of Bosnia-Herzegovina. One month later, World War I
erupted in Europe
. By 1915, the war reached the Ottoman Empire
and triggered the Armenian Genocide
, which resulted in the death of over 1.5 million Armenians. Amirian was traumatically affected because of the massacre. The Amirian family was driven out of Bayburt
and were forced to march until they reached their deaths. As the Amirian family and thousands of other Armenian reached Erzincan
, Amirian's mother, Vartanoush had committed suicide by jumping into the Tigris river. The rest of the family, which consisted of 50 members, marched throughout the Ottoman Empire
until all of them had perished. The only surviving member of the Amirian family was Haiganoush, Krikor Amirian's oldest sister. Haiganoush was able to escape before the Ottoman soldiers had reached Bayburt
.
On April 17, 1916, Russian General V. P. Lyakhov led a massive assault on Bayburt
, in order to drive out the Turkish and German soldiers stationed in the city, in which he succeeded. In the meantime, Amirian served in the First Armenian Volunteer Regiment. The First Armenian Volunteer Regiment fought battles throughout the border regions of Russia
, Persia, and Turkey
. The First Armenian Volunteer Regiment consisted of 1,200 men. Amirian was serving as the commander of the artillery
division. He served under the command of General's Tovmas Nazarbekian
, Drastamat Kanayan
, and Andranik Ozanian. After the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II and signing of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
, the First Armenian Regiment had been dissolved. The reason for all of this was that the Armenian forces
was being supplied by the Russian Empire
and after the signing of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
, the Russian Empire
was officially out of the war and all the supplies to the First Armenian Volunteer Regiment had collapsed. Though supplies to the Armenians from Russia
had been dissolved, Amirian and the First Armenian Volunteer Regiment continued there cause with out Russian support and instead relied heavily on supplies from the British Empire
.
in 1918, Amirian returned to Sucrati, an Armenian neighborhood in Istanbul
, where he served as a Director of an Armenian Orphanage that was housed in a Turkish Palace. In the early 1920s, Amirian and General Dro both fled to Romania
. Dro
was placed in charge of the Ghoukasian Oil Refineries and Amirian was appointed as a Management Officer. The Ghouaskasian Oil Refineries, also known as the Lumina Oil Refineries, had ranged all over Ploesti. In 1923, General Dro had introduced Amirian to a young Armenian-Bulgarian girl by the name of Siranoush Garabedian. Later that year, Amirian and Siranoush would be married. A year later, Amirian had his first child, Christine. He later had two sons, Sebouh in 1925 and Dro in 1928. He had also lived with his older sibling, Haiganoush and his niece Alene. Haiganoush was George Mardikian's
mother and Alene was his youngest sister. George Mardikian
was a famous Armenian Philanthropist. In 1951, President Harry Truman had awarded George Mardikian
the Medal of Freedom for supplying food to Coalition forces and civilians during World War II
and the Korean War
. He also was responsible for the migration of over 5,000 Armenian's from German refugee camps to the United States
after World War II
. In 1938, he had opened his own restaurant called Omar Khayyam
. In 1935, Haiganoush and her daughter Alene fled to the United States
. A year later, Haiganoush would die from pneumonia
.
, Amirian and his family dealt with Nazi occupation of the oil fields. All the men who ran the oil refineries were against the Nazi Regime, including Amirian. They were forced to supply the armies of Nazi General's Erwin Rommel
, Friedrich Paulus
, Hans-Jürgen Bernhard Theodor von Arnim
, and Albert Kesselring
with basic supplies, such as oil, gas, food, and water. The oil refineries also supplied the armies of the infamous Romanian Dictator Ion Antonescu
. They also had to supply the German and Romanian forces during the Battle of Stalingrad
. German Chancellor Adolf Hitler
had received over 80% of his oil and gas supplies from Ploesti. Because of the major importance the Ghoukasian Oil Refineries and the other surrounding oil refineries had on the war, American President Franklin D. Roosevelt
and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill
worked with General Jacob E. Smart
at the 1942 Casablanca Conference to discuss Operation Tidal Wave. Operation Tidal Wave was a massive air bombing of the Ploiești
refineries by British and American Forces. Prime Minister Churchill called the Ploiești
Refineries as "the taproot of German might,".The Operation left complete and utter destruction in Ploiești
. During the day 200 British bombers raided the city and at night 178 American bombers would arrive. Close to 100 bombers would not return home. On the other hand, Amirian and his management team had to deal with the massive devastation after 40% of the fields were destroyed. After relentless bombardment from the Allied Forces, Hitler would turn his attention to the refineries in Baku.
Yet, the German's were able to rebuild the refineries. In a desperate attempt to destroy the heart of the German war machine, the Royal Air Force
deployed 700 bombers to flatten the city. The British Empire had succeeded in finally destroying the refineries. This event took place a couple of days before the Jassy-Kishinev Offensive.
On August 20, 1944, the Jassy-Kishinev Offensive was put into affect. The purpose of the operation was to liberate Romania
from Nazi Occupation and overthrown the Dictatorship of Ion Antonescu
. On August 23, as Soviet Troops were at the gates of Bucharest
, the puppet government of His Majesty Michael I of Romania
had overthrown and arrested Antonescu.
On August 24, Romania
, which included the Ghoukasian Oil Refineries, were liberated. It would not be until December 22, 1989, when Romania
finally gained freedom from the Soviet Union
.
In 1941, General Dro had to leave the Ghoukasian Oil Refinery in order to create the Armenian Legion
in the Wehrmacht
. The Armenian Legion
was a branch in the Wehrmacht
that consisted mostly of former Armenian Prisoner's of War. They had fought for the restoration of Armenia from the Soviet Union. When Dro had left to create the Armenian Legion
, he gave command of the Ghoukasian Oil Refineries to Amirian and Alexander Sharafian.
and finally to Italy
. When he arrived in Rome
, he was reunited with his nephew George Mardikian
. Amirian finally arrived in the United States in 1950, with his wife Siranoush and youngest child Dro. His two other children, Christine and Sebouh, had to wait five years until the first Displaced Person Act was finally passed and until the United States accepted their passports. Amirian finally gained his United States citizenship on May 7, 1957.
, especially through his nephew, George Mardikian
. He worked at George Mardikian
's restaurant Omar Khayyam and also worked at George Mardikian
Enterprises along with the famed Soghomon Tehlirian
. Soghomon Tehlirian
was a famous Armenian revolutionary who responsible for the assassination of the former Grand Vizier
of the Ottoman Empire
, Mehmed Talat Pasha
. Tehlirian was acquitted by a German Court for the assassination on the charges of mental insanity. Amirian served as the official Armenian typist at George Mardikian Enterprises.
Amirian's three children also worked at Omar Khayyam's
. In 1957, Amirian had retired from George Mardikian
Enterprises and moved with his family to Los Angeles
. Amirian spent the rest of his days spending time with his three children and his six grandchildren. He would also wrote hundreds of articles to Armenian Newspaper's across the country. Krikor Amirian died on August 1, 1964.
Democratic Republic of Armenia
The Democratic Republic of Armenia was the first modern establishment of an Armenian state...
.
Early life
Krikor Amirian was born on June 20, 1888, in BayburtBayburt
Bayburt is a city in northeast Turkey lying on the Çoruh River, and is the provincial capital of Turkey's Bayburt Province.Bayburt was once an important center on the ancient Silk Road and it was visited by Marco Polo and Turkish excursionist Evliya Celebi. Remains of its Byzantine castle still...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. The Amirian family had been influential citizens in Bayburt
Bayburt
Bayburt is a city in northeast Turkey lying on the Çoruh River, and is the provincial capital of Turkey's Bayburt Province.Bayburt was once an important center on the ancient Silk Road and it was visited by Marco Polo and Turkish excursionist Evliya Celebi. Remains of its Byzantine castle still...
. Amirian had grown up during the Hamidian Massacres
Hamidian massacres
The Hamidian massacres , also referred to as the Armenian Massacres of 1894–1896, refers to the massacring of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire, with estimates of the dead ranging from anywhere between 80,000 to 300,000, and at least 50,000 orphans as a result...
, which was a sad period in Armenian History. In early 1895, Sultan Abdul Hamid II
Abdul Hamid II
His Imperial Majesty, The Sultan Abdülhamid II, Emperor of the Ottomans, Caliph of the Faithful was the 34th sultan of the Ottoman Empire...
ordered the extermination of specific Armenian District's in the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
. He had ordered thousand's of Turkish troops to take control of Bayburt
Bayburt
Bayburt is a city in northeast Turkey lying on the Çoruh River, and is the provincial capital of Turkey's Bayburt Province.Bayburt was once an important center on the ancient Silk Road and it was visited by Marco Polo and Turkish excursionist Evliya Celebi. Remains of its Byzantine castle still...
, because Bayburt
Bayburt
Bayburt is a city in northeast Turkey lying on the Çoruh River, and is the provincial capital of Turkey's Bayburt Province.Bayburt was once an important center on the ancient Silk Road and it was visited by Marco Polo and Turkish excursionist Evliya Celebi. Remains of its Byzantine castle still...
was one of the most heavily populated Armenian cities on the Eastern side of the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
. When Turkish troops had entered the city, a massive revolt erupted on October 26, 1895. After relentless fighting, the Armenian Rebels wanted to make peace with its invaders. Eryia Amirian, Amirian's father, was chosen to represent the city in order to negotiate a truce with Ottoman officials. Instead, he was shot and left on the side of a road to die. The next day, he was eventually found and given a proper burial.
Amirian had been educated at a local Armenian school in Bayburt
Bayburt
Bayburt is a city in northeast Turkey lying on the Çoruh River, and is the provincial capital of Turkey's Bayburt Province.Bayburt was once an important center on the ancient Silk Road and it was visited by Marco Polo and Turkish excursionist Evliya Celebi. Remains of its Byzantine castle still...
, and then eventually went to the Turkish Army Officer's Academy. In 1908, he graduated from the academy and was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. He had served during the First Balkan War
First Balkan War
The First Balkan War, which lasted from October 1912 to May 1913, pitted the Balkan League against the Ottoman Empire. The combined armies of the Balkan states overcame the numerically inferior and strategically disadvantaged Ottoman armies and achieved rapid success...
, which took place from 1912-1913. In early 1913, Amirian was arrested by Bulgarian soldiers and thrown in prison. In mid-1913, after the signing of the Treaty of London
Treaty of London
The Treaty of London may refer to:* Treaty of London , which ceded western France to England, repudiated by the Estates-General in Paris on 19 May 1359* Treaty of London , a non-aggression pact between the major European nations...
, Amirian and countless other were released.
World War I
In 1914-1915, Amirian served as General Andranik Toros OzanianAndranik Toros Ozanian
Andranik Ozanian , Andranik Toros Ozanian , General Andranik , also as Antranik or Antranig was an Armenian general, political and public activist and freedom fighter, greatly admired as a national hero.-Early Age:Antranik Toros Ozanian was born in the church...
's personal bodyguard and tutor. He was also a personal friend of famed General Drastamat Kanayan
Drastamat Kanayan
General Drastamat Kanayan , known as General Dro, Դրօ, May 31, 1884 March 8, 1956), was a politician, revolutionary, military commander of Hitler’s Armenian Legion of the Wehrmacht, the armed forces of Nazi Germany, and part of Armenian national liberation movement as a member of the A.R.F...
, also known as General Dro. On June 28, 1914, Gavrilo Princip
Gavrilo Princip
Gavrilo Princip was the Bosnian Serb who assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife, Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg, in Sarajevo on 28 June 1914...
decided to make a decision that changed the map of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
forever by assassinating the heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Gavrilo Princip was part of the Black Hand, which was an organization that committed terrorist like acts in order to secure the freed of Bosnia-Herzegovina. One month later, World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
erupted in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. By 1915, the war reached the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
and triggered the Armenian Genocide
Armenian Genocide
The Armenian Genocide—also known as the Armenian Holocaust, the Armenian Massacres and, by Armenians, as the Great Crime—refers to the deliberate and systematic destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during and just after World War I...
, which resulted in the death of over 1.5 million Armenians. Amirian was traumatically affected because of the massacre. The Amirian family was driven out of Bayburt
Bayburt
Bayburt is a city in northeast Turkey lying on the Çoruh River, and is the provincial capital of Turkey's Bayburt Province.Bayburt was once an important center on the ancient Silk Road and it was visited by Marco Polo and Turkish excursionist Evliya Celebi. Remains of its Byzantine castle still...
and were forced to march until they reached their deaths. As the Amirian family and thousands of other Armenian reached Erzincan
Erzincan
-Trivia:Erzincan has the largest man made of Portrait of Atatürk, located north of the city, 176m×43m. It covers 7,500 square meter. Turkish Army made it 1982, in 29 days by 3,000 soldier, 100 tons of black and white paint was used...
, Amirian's mother, Vartanoush had committed suicide by jumping into the Tigris river. The rest of the family, which consisted of 50 members, marched throughout the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
until all of them had perished. The only surviving member of the Amirian family was Haiganoush, Krikor Amirian's oldest sister. Haiganoush was able to escape before the Ottoman soldiers had reached Bayburt
Bayburt
Bayburt is a city in northeast Turkey lying on the Çoruh River, and is the provincial capital of Turkey's Bayburt Province.Bayburt was once an important center on the ancient Silk Road and it was visited by Marco Polo and Turkish excursionist Evliya Celebi. Remains of its Byzantine castle still...
.
On April 17, 1916, Russian General V. P. Lyakhov led a massive assault on Bayburt
Bayburt
Bayburt is a city in northeast Turkey lying on the Çoruh River, and is the provincial capital of Turkey's Bayburt Province.Bayburt was once an important center on the ancient Silk Road and it was visited by Marco Polo and Turkish excursionist Evliya Celebi. Remains of its Byzantine castle still...
, in order to drive out the Turkish and German soldiers stationed in the city, in which he succeeded. In the meantime, Amirian served in the First Armenian Volunteer Regiment. The First Armenian Volunteer Regiment fought battles throughout the border regions of Russia
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
, Persia, and Turkey
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
. The First Armenian Volunteer Regiment consisted of 1,200 men. Amirian was serving as the commander of the artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
division. He served under the command of General's Tovmas Nazarbekian
Tovmas Nazarbekian
Tovmas Nazarbekian, commonly known as General Nazarbekov , was an Armenian general in the Russian Caucasus Army that appointed as the governor of the Administration for Western Armenia and later promoted to commander-in-chief of Democratic Republic of Armenia.He was born to a wealthy Russianized...
, Drastamat Kanayan
Drastamat Kanayan
General Drastamat Kanayan , known as General Dro, Դրօ, May 31, 1884 March 8, 1956), was a politician, revolutionary, military commander of Hitler’s Armenian Legion of the Wehrmacht, the armed forces of Nazi Germany, and part of Armenian national liberation movement as a member of the A.R.F...
, and Andranik Ozanian. After the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II and signing of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was a peace treaty signed on March 3, 1918, mediated by South African Andrik Fuller, at Brest-Litovsk between Russia and the Central Powers, headed by Germany, marking Russia's exit from World War I.While the treaty was practically obsolete before the end of the year,...
, the First Armenian Regiment had been dissolved. The reason for all of this was that the Armenian forces
Armenian volunteer units
Armenian volunteer units, also known the Armenian volunteer corps were Armenian battalions in Russian and British armies during the World War I. Majority of these units support the military activities at the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I. The origin of these units were varied. Some units...
was being supplied by the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
and after the signing of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was a peace treaty signed on March 3, 1918, mediated by South African Andrik Fuller, at Brest-Litovsk between Russia and the Central Powers, headed by Germany, marking Russia's exit from World War I.While the treaty was practically obsolete before the end of the year,...
, the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
was officially out of the war and all the supplies to the First Armenian Volunteer Regiment had collapsed. Though supplies to the Armenians from Russia
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
had been dissolved, Amirian and the First Armenian Volunteer Regiment continued there cause with out Russian support and instead relied heavily on supplies from the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
.
Post World War I
After the end of World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
in 1918, Amirian returned to Sucrati, an Armenian neighborhood in Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
, where he served as a Director of an Armenian Orphanage that was housed in a Turkish Palace. In the early 1920s, Amirian and General Dro both fled to Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
. Dro
Dro
Dro may refer to*Dro Records.*Debt Relief Order, a form of bankruptcy in England.*Drastamat Kanayan, an Armenian general known as Dro.*Dispute resolution organization.*Dro, a commune in Trentino, Italy....
was placed in charge of the Ghoukasian Oil Refineries and Amirian was appointed as a Management Officer. The Ghouaskasian Oil Refineries, also known as the Lumina Oil Refineries, had ranged all over Ploesti. In 1923, General Dro had introduced Amirian to a young Armenian-Bulgarian girl by the name of Siranoush Garabedian. Later that year, Amirian and Siranoush would be married. A year later, Amirian had his first child, Christine. He later had two sons, Sebouh in 1925 and Dro in 1928. He had also lived with his older sibling, Haiganoush and his niece Alene. Haiganoush was George Mardikian's
George Mardikian
George Magar Mardikian was an Armenian-American restauranteur, chef, author and philanthropist who opened the well-known Omar Khayyam’s restaurant in San Francisco, California in 1938...
mother and Alene was his youngest sister. George Mardikian
George Mardikian
George Magar Mardikian was an Armenian-American restauranteur, chef, author and philanthropist who opened the well-known Omar Khayyam’s restaurant in San Francisco, California in 1938...
was a famous Armenian Philanthropist. In 1951, President Harry Truman had awarded George Mardikian
George Mardikian
George Magar Mardikian was an Armenian-American restauranteur, chef, author and philanthropist who opened the well-known Omar Khayyam’s restaurant in San Francisco, California in 1938...
the Medal of Freedom for supplying food to Coalition forces and civilians during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
. He also was responsible for the migration of over 5,000 Armenian's from German refugee camps to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. In 1938, he had opened his own restaurant called Omar Khayyam
Omar Khayyám
Omar Khayyám was aPersian polymath: philosopher, mathematician, astronomer and poet. He also wrote treatises on mechanics, geography, mineralogy, music, climatology and theology....
. In 1935, Haiganoush and her daughter Alene fled to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. A year later, Haiganoush would die from pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
.
World War II
During World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Amirian and his family dealt with Nazi occupation of the oil fields. All the men who ran the oil refineries were against the Nazi Regime, including Amirian. They were forced to supply the armies of Nazi General's Erwin Rommel
Erwin Rommel
Erwin Johannes Eugen Rommel , popularly known as the Desert Fox , was a German Field Marshal of World War II. He won the respect of both his own troops and the enemies he fought....
, Friedrich Paulus
Friedrich Paulus
Friedrich Wilhelm Ernst Paulus was an officer in the German military from 1910 to 1945. He attained the rank of Generalfeldmarschall during World War II, and is best known for having commanded the Sixth Army's assault on Stalingrad during Operation Blue in 1942...
, Hans-Jürgen Bernhard Theodor von Arnim
Hans-Jürgen von Arnim
Hans-Jürgen Bernhard Theodor von Arnim was a German Generaloberst who served during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross...
, and Albert Kesselring
Albert Kesselring
Albert Kesselring was a German Luftwaffe Generalfeldmarschall during World War II. In a military career that spanned both World Wars, Kesselring became one of Nazi Germany's most skilful commanders, being one of 27 soldiers awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords...
with basic supplies, such as oil, gas, food, and water. The oil refineries also supplied the armies of the infamous Romanian Dictator Ion Antonescu
Ion Antonescu
Ion Victor Antonescu was a Romanian soldier, authoritarian politician and convicted war criminal. The Prime Minister and Conducător during most of World War II, he presided over two successive wartime dictatorships...
. They also had to supply the German and Romanian forces during the Battle of Stalingrad
Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad was a major battle of World War II in which Nazi Germany and its allies fought the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad in southwestern Russia. The battle took place between 23 August 1942 and 2 February 1943...
. German Chancellor Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
had received over 80% of his oil and gas supplies from Ploesti. Because of the major importance the Ghoukasian Oil Refineries and the other surrounding oil refineries had on the war, American President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
worked with General Jacob E. Smart
Jacob E. Smart
General Jacob Edward Smart was a U.S. Army Air Force leader in World War II and Cold War era Air Force general....
at the 1942 Casablanca Conference to discuss Operation Tidal Wave. Operation Tidal Wave was a massive air bombing of the Ploiești
Ploiesti
Ploiești is the county seat of Prahova County and lies in the historical region of Wallachia in Romania. The city is located north of Bucharest....
refineries by British and American Forces. Prime Minister Churchill called the Ploiești
Ploiesti
Ploiești is the county seat of Prahova County and lies in the historical region of Wallachia in Romania. The city is located north of Bucharest....
Refineries as "the taproot of German might,".The Operation left complete and utter destruction in Ploiești
Ploiesti
Ploiești is the county seat of Prahova County and lies in the historical region of Wallachia in Romania. The city is located north of Bucharest....
. During the day 200 British bombers raided the city and at night 178 American bombers would arrive. Close to 100 bombers would not return home. On the other hand, Amirian and his management team had to deal with the massive devastation after 40% of the fields were destroyed. After relentless bombardment from the Allied Forces, Hitler would turn his attention to the refineries in Baku.
Yet, the German's were able to rebuild the refineries. In a desperate attempt to destroy the heart of the German war machine, the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
deployed 700 bombers to flatten the city. The British Empire had succeeded in finally destroying the refineries. This event took place a couple of days before the Jassy-Kishinev Offensive.
On August 20, 1944, the Jassy-Kishinev Offensive was put into affect. The purpose of the operation was to liberate Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
from Nazi Occupation and overthrown the Dictatorship of Ion Antonescu
Ion Antonescu
Ion Victor Antonescu was a Romanian soldier, authoritarian politician and convicted war criminal. The Prime Minister and Conducător during most of World War II, he presided over two successive wartime dictatorships...
. On August 23, as Soviet Troops were at the gates of Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
, the puppet government of His Majesty Michael I of Romania
Michael I of Romania
Michael was the last King of Romania. He reigned from 20 July 1927 to 8 June 1930, and again from 6 September 1940 until 30 December 1947 when he was forced, by the Communist Party of Romania , to abdicate to the Soviet armies of occupation...
had overthrown and arrested Antonescu.
Ion Antonescu
Ion Victor Antonescu was a Romanian soldier, authoritarian politician and convicted war criminal. The Prime Minister and Conducător during most of World War II, he presided over two successive wartime dictatorships...
On August 24, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
, which included the Ghoukasian Oil Refineries, were liberated. It would not be until December 22, 1989, when Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
finally gained freedom from the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
.
In 1941, General Dro had to leave the Ghoukasian Oil Refinery in order to create the Armenian Legion
Armenian Legion
The Armenian Legion was the name given to the 812th Armenian Battalion, which was a foreign unit of the Nazi Germany during World War II, composed largely of POW Armenians of the Red Army, under the leadership of Drastamat Kanayan...
in the Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
. The Armenian Legion
Armenian Legion
The Armenian Legion was the name given to the 812th Armenian Battalion, which was a foreign unit of the Nazi Germany during World War II, composed largely of POW Armenians of the Red Army, under the leadership of Drastamat Kanayan...
was a branch in the Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
that consisted mostly of former Armenian Prisoner's of War. They had fought for the restoration of Armenia from the Soviet Union. When Dro had left to create the Armenian Legion
Armenian Legion
The Armenian Legion was the name given to the 812th Armenian Battalion, which was a foreign unit of the Nazi Germany during World War II, composed largely of POW Armenians of the Red Army, under the leadership of Drastamat Kanayan...
, he gave command of the Ghoukasian Oil Refineries to Amirian and Alexander Sharafian.
Post World War II
After the end of the war, Amirian and his family escaped to AustriaAustria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
and finally to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. When he arrived in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, he was reunited with his nephew George Mardikian
George Mardikian
George Magar Mardikian was an Armenian-American restauranteur, chef, author and philanthropist who opened the well-known Omar Khayyam’s restaurant in San Francisco, California in 1938...
. Amirian finally arrived in the United States in 1950, with his wife Siranoush and youngest child Dro. His two other children, Christine and Sebouh, had to wait five years until the first Displaced Person Act was finally passed and until the United States accepted their passports. Amirian finally gained his United States citizenship on May 7, 1957.
Later life
Amirian still continued his dedicated work in the Armenian community and the Armenian Revolutionary FederationArmenian Revolutionary Federation
The Armenian Revolutionary Federation is an Armenian political party founded in Tiflis in 1890 by Christapor Mikaelian, Stepan Zorian, and Simon Zavarian...
, especially through his nephew, George Mardikian
George Mardikian
George Magar Mardikian was an Armenian-American restauranteur, chef, author and philanthropist who opened the well-known Omar Khayyam’s restaurant in San Francisco, California in 1938...
. He worked at George Mardikian
George Mardikian
George Magar Mardikian was an Armenian-American restauranteur, chef, author and philanthropist who opened the well-known Omar Khayyam’s restaurant in San Francisco, California in 1938...
's restaurant Omar Khayyam and also worked at George Mardikian
George Mardikian
George Magar Mardikian was an Armenian-American restauranteur, chef, author and philanthropist who opened the well-known Omar Khayyam’s restaurant in San Francisco, California in 1938...
Enterprises along with the famed Soghomon Tehlirian
Soghomon Tehlirian
Soghomon Tehlirian was a native of Yerznka, an Armenian Evangelical survivor...
. Soghomon Tehlirian
Soghomon Tehlirian
Soghomon Tehlirian was a native of Yerznka, an Armenian Evangelical survivor...
was a famous Armenian revolutionary who responsible for the assassination of the former Grand Vizier
Grand Vizier
Grand Vizier, in Turkish Vezir-i Azam or Sadr-ı Azam , deriving from the Arabic word vizier , was the greatest minister of the Sultan, with absolute power of attorney and, in principle, dismissable only by the Sultan himself...
of the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
, Mehmed Talat Pasha
Mehmed Talat Pasha
Talaat Pasha Talaat Pasha Talaat Pasha (also transliterated as Tala'at Pasha or Talat Pasha was one of the leaders of the Committee of Union and Progress that controlled the Ottoman Empire during the First World War.He was born in Edirne Vilayet. He was of Pomak descent...
. Tehlirian was acquitted by a German Court for the assassination on the charges of mental insanity. Amirian served as the official Armenian typist at George Mardikian Enterprises.
Amirian's three children also worked at Omar Khayyam's
Omar Khayyám
Omar Khayyám was aPersian polymath: philosopher, mathematician, astronomer and poet. He also wrote treatises on mechanics, geography, mineralogy, music, climatology and theology....
. In 1957, Amirian had retired from George Mardikian
George Mardikian
George Magar Mardikian was an Armenian-American restauranteur, chef, author and philanthropist who opened the well-known Omar Khayyam’s restaurant in San Francisco, California in 1938...
Enterprises and moved with his family to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. Amirian spent the rest of his days spending time with his three children and his six grandchildren. He would also wrote hundreds of articles to Armenian Newspaper's across the country. Krikor Amirian died on August 1, 1964.
See also
- Caucasus CampaignCaucasus CampaignThe Caucasus Campaign comprised armed conflicts between the Ottoman Empire and the Russian Empire, later including Azerbaijan, Armenia, Central Caspian Dictatorship and the UK as part of the Middle Eastern theatre or alternatively named as part of the Caucasus Campaign during World War I...
- Armenian GenocideArmenian GenocideThe Armenian Genocide—also known as the Armenian Holocaust, the Armenian Massacres and, by Armenians, as the Great Crime—refers to the deliberate and systematic destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during and just after World War I...
- Armenian Volunteer UnitsArmenian volunteer unitsArmenian volunteer units, also known the Armenian volunteer corps were Armenian battalions in Russian and British armies during the World War I. Majority of these units support the military activities at the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I. The origin of these units were varied. Some units...
- George MardikianGeorge MardikianGeorge Magar Mardikian was an Armenian-American restauranteur, chef, author and philanthropist who opened the well-known Omar Khayyam’s restaurant in San Francisco, California in 1938...