Movses Silikyan was one of the key Armenian military commanders who played an important role during the critical battles of May 1918. At a time when Eastern Armenia faced the threat of invasion, collapse, and possible destruction, Silikyan became one of the main organizers of the Armenian defense during the Battle of Sardarapat. His leadership, together with the resistance of Armenian defenders and civilians, helped stop the Ottoman advance and contributed to the survival of Eastern Armenia and the creation of the First Republic of Armenia.
Early Life and Military Career
Movses Silikyan was born in 1862 in the village of Vartashen, in the Elisabethpol Governorate of the Russian Empire, a region with a significant Armenian population. He grew up during a period when many Armenians in the Russian Empire sought education and military careers as a way to advance socially and serve their communities.
From a young age, Silikyan showed interest in military service and later entered the Alexandropol Military School, one of the important military educational institutions of the Caucasus region. After completing his studies, he continued his military training within the Russian Imperial Army system, where discipline, strategic planning, and command structure played a central role in officer development.
During his long military career in the Russian Imperial Army, Silikyan served in different regions of the empire and gradually rose through the officer ranks due to his professionalism and battlefield experience. He participated in several military campaigns and became known as a disciplined and capable commander. His years of service gave him valuable experience in logistics, troop coordination, defensive operations, and battlefield leadership — skills that later became critically important during the Armenian resistance of 1918.
Like many Armenian officers serving in the Russian military at the time, Silikyan belonged to a generation of educated Armenian commanders who combined professional military training with a strong sense of national responsibility.
Collapse of the Caucasus Front
After the Russian Revolution of 1917, the Caucasus Front began collapsing rapidly. Russian troops abandoned positions across the region, leaving Eastern Armenia exposed to the advancing Ottoman Army.
At the same time, Eastern Armenia was overwhelmed by Armenian Genocide survivors escaping massacres and deportations from the Ottoman Empire. The region faced famine, refugee crises, disease, panic, and political uncertainty.
By spring 1918, Ottoman forces were advancing toward Yerevan and Etchmiadzin. Many Armenians feared that the remaining Armenian-populated territories in Eastern Armenia could also be destroyed.
Movses Silikyan and the Battle of Sardarapat
During the critical days of May 1918, Movses Silikyan became one of the main Armenian commanders helping organize the defense against the Ottoman advance.
The Battle of Sardarapat, fought between May 21–29, 1918, became one of the decisive battles in modern Armenian history. Ottoman forces advancing toward Yerevan and Etchmiadzin threatened the remaining Armenian-populated territories of Eastern Armenia. Silikyan played an important role in organizing Armenian defensive operations, coordinating troop movements, maintaining military discipline, and preparing counteroffensive actions during the battle.
Under extremely difficult conditions, Armenian defenders — including regular soldiers, volunteers, clergy, political leaders, and ordinary civilians — managed to stop the Ottoman advance near Sardarapat. Together with the Armenian victories at Bash Abaran and Karakilisa, the battle prevented the possible collapse of Eastern Armenia and helped preserve the territory that later became the foundation of the independent Armenian state.
Role in Armenian Survival
For many historians, the battles of May 1918 were not simply military victories, but battles for Armenian survival. Without the resistance organized by Armenian commanders such as Movses Silikyan, Ottoman forces could have captured Yerevan and Etchmiadzin, placing the remaining Armenian population of Eastern Armenia in extreme danger.
The Armenian victories of May 1918 created the conditions necessary for the proclamation of the First Republic of Armenia on May 28, 1918, marking the restoration of Armenian statehood after centuries of foreign rule.
Following independence, Silikyan continued serving Armenia and became involved in the military structure of the new republic. During the difficult early years of Armenian independence, the republic faced refugee crises, famine, epidemics, border conflicts, and ongoing regional instability. Experienced military officers such as Silikyan played an important role in maintaining the country’s defense and military organization during this unstable period.
Later Years and Soviet Repression
After the Sovietization of Armenia in 1920, many former political, intellectual, and military figures connected to the First Republic gradually became targets of Soviet political repression. Like numerous Armenian national commanders of his generation, Movses Silikyan eventually became a victim of Stalin’s purges.
In 1937, during the period of large-scale political repression across the Soviet Union, Silikyan was arrested and executed. His fate reflected the broader tragedy experienced by many Armenian military leaders and public figures associated with the struggle for Armenian independence in the early twentieth century.