The Social Democrat Hunchakian Party (SDHP) (Armenian: Սոցիալ Դեմոկրատ Հնչակյան Կուսակցություն also known by the initials ՍԴՀԿ), is the oldest of the Armenian political parties and was the first Socialist party in the Ottoman Empire and in Persia. It was founded in 1887 by Avetis Nazarbekian, Mariam Vardanian, Gevorg Gharadjian, Ruben Khan-Azat, Christopher Ohanian, Gabriel Kafian and Manuel Manuelian, a group of college students in Geneva, Switzerland, with the goal to gain Armenia's independence from the Ottoman Empire, which is part of Armenian national liberation movement .
Also known as Hentchak, Henchak, Social-Democratic Hentchakists, Huntchakians, Hnchakian, Henchags, its name is taken from its newspaper Hunchak, meaning "Clarion" or "Bell" in English, and is taken by party members to represent "a call or awakening, for enlightenment and freedom."
History
All seven founders of the party were Russian Armenian Marxist students who had left Russian Armenia to further their education in various universities of Western Europe. They were young, in their twenties, and supported by their affluent bourgeois families. They were influenced by Russian revolutionary ideology. Mariam Vardanian had worked with Russian revolutionaries in Saint Petersburg. For the purpose of furthering revolutionary activity in Turkish Armenia, they formed the Hunchakian Revolutionary Party in August, 1887.
Hunchakian leaders hanged during the Armenian Genocide
Hunchak party fought many battles against the Ottoman Empire, to free the Armenian people from Turkish rule. One of Armenia's famous national heroesAndranik Ozanian, at first, joined the Hunchak party, but disagreement with party policies led Andranik to leave the Hunchak ranks and join the Dashnakparty and on to the Armenian Democratic Liberal Ramgavar Party.
Hunchak newsletter.
Activities in the Ottoman Empire
See also: Armenian rebellions in the Ottoman Empire
- Kum Kapu Affray: (July 27, 1890)
- Sasun Resistance: (1894)
- Defense of Van: (June, 1896)
- Khanasor Expedition: (July 25, 1897)
- Zeitun Resistance: (August 30, 1914 - December 1, 1914 and March 25, 1915)
- Van Resistance: (April 19, 1915 - May 6, 1915)
- Shabin-Karahisar Resistance: (June 2, 1915 - June 30, 1915)
- The Twenty Martyrs (June 15, 1915)
Democratic Republic of Armenia
The party also played role in establishment of Democratic Republic of Armenia, as party members took part in the Battle of Sardarapat, during the World War Iat Caucasus Campaign, which defended the Armenian capital Yerevan from the Army of Islam of the Ottoman Empire.
Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic
After the takeover of the Armenian communists of power in Armenia in 1921 and dissolving of the Democratic Republic of Armenia, and the declaration of theArmenian Soviet Socialist Republic, all political parties apart from the Armenian Communist Party were forbidden. Thus the Social Democrat Hunchakian Party, alongside all the other Armenian traditional political parties effectively became a party solely in the Armenian diaspora.
But the party remained in general a supporter of the development of the Armenian SSR for many decades, in sharp contrast to the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) that remained opposed to the Communist regime in Armenia. This resulted at many times in feuds and rift between the Hunchaks and the Dashnaks in many centers of the Armenian diaspora, a situation becoming worse with religious differences, with the Social Democrat Hunchakian Party supporting Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin of the Armenian Apostolic Church and the ARF supporting the Holy See of Cilicia. In these conflicts , the Armenian Democratic Liberal Party was seen as a political ally on the side of the SDHP and in opposition to the ARF.
Activities in Lebanon
In the 1950s, it clashed, sometimes violently, with the Dashnak Party, due to tensions that escalated when the ARF elected Bishop Zareh as Zareh I, Catholicos of Cilicia, a move that was rejected by the Hunchaks. This period was characterized by an escalation of conflict between the ARF on one side, and the SDHP and the ally ADL (Ramgavars) on the other side.
In the midst of increasing sectarian strife in the late 1960s and early 1970s, however, Lebanon's Armenian community began to close ranks, and in 1972, the Hunchakian Party ran a joint ticket with the Dashnaks. In 2000, the Hunchakian Party joined forces with Rafik Hariri's Future Movement, which swept the city of Beirut. SDHP Central Committee Member Dr Yeghia Jerejian was a member ofLebanese Parliament for many years. Currently the party is represented in the parliament by Sebouh Kalpakian.
Modern
In the early 1990s, the party took part in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. The party today forms part of the Armenian opposition and has a representative at the National Assembly of Armenia.
The party is also active in the Armenian diaspora and in Lebanon as well, where it competes for the six National Assembly seats reserved for ethnic Armenians. The party subscribes to a socialist ideology and advocates a planned economy for Lebanon. Social Democrat Hunchakian Party has an official newspaper in Lebanon which is the Ararad daily newspaper.
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Affiliate organizations
The Hunchakian party has established affiliate organizations such as the AEBU which is an organization that helps with educational, health and social care, the Armenian Dkhrouhi Youth Association and HMM (Homenmen) which is an independent sporting organization but strongly affiliated with the SDHP (not to be confused with Homenetmen considered largely affiliated with the ARF).
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Party Publications / Organs
Hunchak (also - Hnchak, Hentchak, Bell in Armenian) was the official organ of the Social Democrat Hunchakian Party. It was founded by Avetis Nazarbekian and published in 1887-1915, 1935-1940, in France, Greece, Britain and USA. The main purpose of the paper was the propagand of the Armenian national movement for the liberation, the resistance in Western Armenian regions. Hunchak also supported the ideology of social-democracy and worker's consolidation.
Present-day party publications include:
Ararad daily newspaper published in Beirut, Lebanon
Tchahagir Weekly published in Cairo, Egypt
Massis Weekly published in Los Angeles
Nor Serounti Tsayn (Voice of Nor Serount) published in London, UK
Zank Armenian Journal, Australia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hnchakian
