Armenian delegation at the Berlin Congress

The Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878 witnessed Russian advances in Ottoman Armenia, with the imperial army successfully capturing Bayazet and Kars between late 1877 and early 1878. As they advanced, irregular Kurdish troops and bashi-bazouks looted and burned several Armenian border villages, leading Armenians in the region to welcome the Russians as liberators. In the meantime, the Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople, Nerses Varzhapetyan, and the Armenian National Assembly viewed this triumph as a potential opportunity. The text of the article is provided below for reference: The term "administrative autonomy" was initially employed instead of "improvements and reforms," Consequently, these reforms were subject to Russia's control as the occupying power. == The Congress of Berlin ==

The United Kingdom, under the leadership of Benjamin Disraeli, and Austria-Hungary expressed concern regarding the Russian expansion at the expense of the Ottoman Empire An Armenian delegation, headed by Mkrtich Khrimian (accompanied notably by ) and comprising another archbishop and two deputies from the Armenian Assembly, The plan proposed the appointment of an Armenian governor in Erzurum by the Ottoman government, the implementation of judicial, fiscal, and police reforms under the control of an international commission, a concerted effort that was unlikely to succeed: == The "Iron Ladle": Disappointment and consequences ==

On the day of the treaty's signing, Mkrtich Khrimian sent a letter to the diplomats expressing his regret that his legitimate and modest demands had been ignored. "The Armenians have come to understand that they have been misled, that their rights have not been acknowledged because they have pursued a policy of peaceful resistance. The Armenian delegation returns to the East, bearing this understanding with it. Nevertheless, it declares that the Armenian people will persist in making their voices heard until Europe meets their just demands," he concluded in his letter. The Armenian delegation at the Congress of Berlin, and the sermon delivered afterward by its leader, constituted a significant factor in the gradual emergence of the Armenian national liberation movement. The initial mention of the Armenian Question at an international conference marked its transition into an international issue. Despite this, Article 61, which was designed to address the issue, was never implemented. Following the Congress, the Armenian Question was largely eclipsed by the Great Powers, who were preoccupied with the expansion of their colonial empires in Africa and Asia. They favored economic imperialism as a means of extending their influence in the Ottoman Empire. Therefore, until 1881, the Great Powers limited themselves to sending largely similar notes to the Sultan, reminding him of his obligations. However, their joint initiative subsequently faltered: Germany and Austria withdrew, and Russia, now under the rule of Alexander III following his father's assassination that same year, lost interest in the Armenian Question. Armenians in the Empire's eastern provinces continued to endure mistreatment, as evidenced by the documentation of such incidents by British consuls stationed in the region. == See also ==