History

Did the Soviet military intentionally send Armenian soldiers to the most precarious fronts during WWII?

Photo by www.mfa.am

Some 50 million were killed during WWII. In percentages, more Armenians were killed than any other nationality. In the Soviet Union Armenians had the most victims.

About 11% of the population was killed. Belorussia was second with 6.8%. Why were so many Armenians killed? Did the Soviet military intentionally send Armenian soldiers to the most precarious fronts?

In 1939 the population of Artsakh was 150,838 of which 90% were Armenian. During WWII over 45,000 people or 32% of the population of Armenians were drafted. In percentage, more people were mobilized in Artsakh than even in Germany.

By Jirair Tutunjian, Toronto keghart.org

Vigen Avetisyan

View Comments

  • According to the memoir of an Armenian soldier drafted from Yerevan, when he was in basic training in Georgia he and others noted that not significant number of Georgians were drafted compared to them. Noted that Stalin and Beria were Georgians and protected them.

  • I am absolutely positive that the Soviets intentionally did send the Armenian soldiers to the front positions to die in their place, otherwise how come a small country with a small population, suffered 300 thousand casualties??...!!

Recent Posts

Hayasa-Azzi: A Powerful Armenian Kingdom of the Armenian Highlands

Among the earliest known states of the Armenian Highlands, few are as historically important as…

1 week ago

The Frescoes of Dadivank Monastery and the Misinterpretation of Heritage

The medieval monastery of Dadivank is one of the most important spiritual and artistic centers…

2 weeks ago

Armenian Orphan Girls in New York (1917): A Forgotten Act of Witness and Relief

In 1917, at the height of global upheaval during World War I, a small but…

3 weeks ago

The Armenian Genocide: State Crime, Mass Participation, and the Burden of Historical Responsibility

The Armenian Genocide (1915–1921 ...) was not an accident of war, nor a tragic byproduct…

4 weeks ago

The First Printed Armenian Bible (Amsterdam, 1666–1668)

Introduction The first printed edition of the Bible in the Armenian language stands as one…

4 weeks ago

Armenopolis (Gherla): An Armenian “Ideal City” in the Heart of Europe

Armenopolis (modern-day Gherla, Romania) is a remarkable example of how the Armenian diaspora not only…

1 month ago