Bagratuni, Yakov Gerasimovich

Education

He was born in an Armenian noble family, from the clan of the princes of Bagratuni . He graduated from the Tiflis men's gymnasium ( 1898 ; with a gold medal), the Kiev Military School ( 1900 ; the first in graduation with the name on the marble plaque), the Nikolaev Academy of the General Staff ( 1907 ).

Russian Army Officer

Since 1900 - lieutenant of the Life Guards of the Kexholm Emperor of the Austrian Regiment . Successfully completed an important reconnaissance mission in Persia . Since 1904 - lieutenant. In the same year he entered the Academy of the General Staff, but at the beginning of 1905 he interrupted his studies and went to the front of the Russo-Japanese War. He commanded a company in the 19th East Siberian Regiment. February 25, 1905 in the battles near the village of Puche was wounded and shell-shocked, but continued to command the company. For military merits was awarded the Order of St. Annas of the 4th degree with the inscription "For courage" and the order of St. Stanislav 3rd degree with swords and bow.

Since 1907 - staff captain, commanded a company of the Life Guards of the Kexholm Regiment. Since November 26, 1908 - captain, assistant senior adjutant of the headquarters of the Turkestan military district. Then he headed the 4th (intelligence) department of the district headquarters. According to his biographer, academician Hrant Avetisyan, Bagratuni

carried out secret military-scientific and practical tasks in Mongolia , Tibet , Korea , Afghanistan , Central Asia - Bukhara , Kashgar , Kermish, Kushke , Merv , revealed the plot of pan-Turkic emissaries in Tashkent and other cities of Turkestan . This feat of his was marked by the Order of St. Anne of the 3rd degree. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel.

Participation in World War I

Member of the First World War , was the headquarters officer for assignments at the headquarters of the 1st Turkestan Army Corps. In September 1914 he distinguished himself in battles on the North-Western Front in the area of ​​Lyc, and was awarded the Order of St. Stanislav 2nd degree with swords and st. 4th degree Vladimir with swords and bow. In October 1914 - January 1915, he temporarily served as chief of staff of the 1st Turkestan Army Corps. In January 1915 - November 1916 - Chief of Staff of the 76th Infantry Division, 2nd Turkestan Rifle Brigade, 2nd Turkestan Rifle-Artillery Brigade. Since December 6, 1915 - Colonel. For distinctions in battles he was awarded the orders of sv. St. George 4th degree, St. 3rd degree Vladimir with swords, sv. 2nd degree Anna with swords. Since November 22, 1916 - commander of the 8th Turkestan Rifle Regiment.

Activities in 1917

After the February Revolution , he was among the supporters of democratic reforms in the army. He was elected a delegate to the All-Russian Congress of Officers in Petrograd , held in May 1917. From June 1917 he served in the office of Minister of War A.F. Kerensky . Since July 12, 1917 - Chief of Staff of the Petrograd Military District. Since August 30, 1917 - Major General. He was an opponent of the speech of General L. G. Kornilov , together with Baranovsky composed the radio “to all, all, all” about the betrayal of Kornilov and his removal from the post of Supreme Commander.

He was one of the organizers of the creation of Armenian military units as part of the Russian army. In August 1917, while continuing to serve as chief of staff of the military district, he was elected the Armenian Military Commissioner and chairman of the Armenian Military Council. Actively involved in the formation of the Armenian Army Corps .

On the eve of the Bolsheviks' coming to power, he took measures to concentrate troops loyal to the Provisional Government , ordered the headquarters of the Northern Front to send a special military detachment to Petrograd (the order was not executed by the front command). As a result, Bagratuni managed to gather only insignificant military forces. On October 25 ( November 7 ), 1917, the Minister of the Provisional Government, N. M. Kishkin , who was empowered to restore order in the city, removed Colonel G.P. Polkovnikov, the Commander-in-Chief of the Petrograd Military District, who showed indecision and appointed a more energetic General Bagratuni in his place. However, he could not reverse the negative development of the situation - after the Bolsheviks surrendered the district headquarters, he resigned and was arrested by the Bolsheviks at the Winter Palace . He was imprisoned in the Peter and Paul Fortress , was released on December 15, 1917, and the next day he re-entered the post of Armenian Military Commissioner.

Armenian General and Diplomat

In late 1917 - early 1918 he continued to work on the formation of the army corps and the sending of Armenian soldiers to the Caucasus . He arrived in Baku in March 1918, but on March 15 an attempt was made on him, leading to amputation of his leg. Despite a serious wound, he participated in the hostilities during the March events and the defense of Baku from the Turkish and Azerbaijani ("Tatar") combined forces in the summer - in the early fall of 1918. He was appointed by the government of the Dictatorship of the Central Caspian War Minister. After the victory of the Caucasian Islamic Army in the battle for Baku , on September 16, 1918, he was forced to leave Baku with the Armenian armed forces and refugees and move to Anzeli (northern Persia ). After the Turks left Baku and the entry of British troops into the city in November 1918, he returned and was re-elected to the Armenian National Council .

In 1919 he was a member of the delegation of Armenia at the Paris Peace Conference as an adviser. Since August 1919 - Chairman of the military mission of Armenia sent to the United States for negotiations on cooperation in the defense sector; in November 1919, the mission arrived in New York . He met with many American political and public figures, spoke at rallies, insisted on providing assistance to Armenia and the official recognition of the Armenian state. Despite the fact that Bagratuni was received by the US Secretary of War and Secretary of State in December 1919 - January 1920 , the American authorities refused to provide military assistance to the country, which did not receive official recognition.

After completing the mission, he returned to France , in 1920 he was appointed ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to England, where he remained to live in exile.

• Avetisyan G. General Hakob Bagratuni (1879-1943) // Armenian Bulletin. - 1999. - No. 1-2 . Archived on September 28, 2007.
• Bagratuni, Yakov Gerasimovich (neopr.) . // Project "Russian Army in the Great War".