| General Arzas Ter-Gusakian |
| In the military campaign of 1877-78 in Western Armenia many Armenian officers proved their worth in their battles against the Turks for their homeland. A special historical place must be put aside for General Ter-Gusakian, who participated in the fight to free the territories of Erevan, Van, Kars, and other Armenian regions, and doing so in the manner which defines the character of an Armenian officer. One of his most distinguishing moments in battle were captured by a world renown Armenian painter, Hovanes Aivazian. The painting is called "The Taking of Kars at Nightfall". General Arzas Ter-Gusakian was born in 1819 in Tiflis to a priest father. His education began in an Armenian school in the city of his birth, and then continued at St. Petersburg Institute in Russia. He graduated as an Engineer in Military Construction. In 1850 Ter-Gusakian entered military service. In 1852 he was named commander on the Apshenon, and later was serviced in the same position in Erevan. Before the military campaign against the Turks, Ter-Gusakian maintained his position in Erevan. But by August of 1876, duty called upon him to defend his land against the Turkish foe. He was put arround the Erevan area next to the commander of the division, Count Loris-Melikov. They were to maneuver their forces to that of Muhtar-Ahmed Pasha, whose forces stood upon the territory of Kars, Subatan, Ardagan, Bayazet, Karakalis, Gasan, Kerpik, and Erzerum. On the 12 April the forces were ordered to march on the Turks, crossing the division line at Bayandar. The divisions of Ter-Gusakian soon took the villages of Zerzerun and by the 17 April the forces were deep inside the territory formely held by the enemy. An order was given to take Bayzan and to march towards Efrat so as to force the Turks to maneuver away from the Kars province. On 19 April, General Ter-Gusakian after taking Bayazet moved towards Karakalis, and took it after the retreat of the fleeing Turkish forces. On 29 April he took Zeydikent Beli, Vizenev, Kolonikev, the Greater and Lesser Yagni mountains, and Myolikei. The result of the accute and accelerated march by Ter-Gusakian caused a panic among the Turkish forces at Kars. The result was the begining of the ethnic-cleansing of the Armenian population of Kars. The ethinic cleansing continued until the liberation of Kars by Ter-Gusakian and other officers. All that the attacking forces led by Ter-Gusakian and Count Loris-Melikov could do at the time was force a blockade on the area, thus cutting supplies to the Turks from the Eastern theater of action. On the 4 July General Ter-Gusakian marched on the Dramagun territory and took Duyar on the 5 July. The army moved on. By 25 October the forces of General Ter-Gusakian took Deve-Boyne. Then a cat and mouse game began against the Turks all over Western Armenia, who fled their position at Alikach. After the elimination of the Turkish threat in the area, the march on Kars began. After the fall of Karadar, the fate of the Turkish occupation of Kars was sealed. General Ter-Gusakian and General Hovhaness Lazarian stormed the city with Armenian crowds waiting for the men who freed them from enemy occupation. Tragically, the Armenian territory taken by victorious forces had to be lost at the Treaty of San Stefano, leaving the Armenian population to its fate. |