People Devoid of Autonomy Cannot Create States – Garegin Nzhdeh

The worst thing is that the people will constantly have to be inspired by the belief that they are weak and need the protection of others. They thereby would deprive themselves of their will, becoming incapable of at least organizing their own self-defense.

Nations seeking independence must, first of all, free themselves from such a mindset. Peoples devoid of autonomy cannot create states.

Statehood implies independent political thinking, self-reliance in struggle, initiative in management, and victory is nothing but the result of a self-confident initiative.

Our defeats were psychological: we lost not because we were weak in numbers or technically but because we were weak in spirit.

Under someone else’s rule, an Armenian is an unusual militant fighter, and under his own banner, he is often a coward and a defeatist.

We lost because instead of fully using the spiritual forces of the nation, we began to look for patrons.

We will save ourselves if we get rid of prejudices, if we try to get on our feet, but not under external influence at the request of others, but with our inner, natural, unstoppable impulse.

Only this way can people become politically and spiritually free.