Part two: Keeper of the Caucasus
2.1 - Day of the Fedayeens
Presidential Palace, Erevan, Erevan district, Armenia, September, 3 1936
-Armenia First!
-Armenia First!
-Armenia First!
-"Yeah, like you said", thought for himself Commander Hovhannes Petrossian, personnal aide to the Kerala (Leader), as he was crossing the many doors of the Presidential Palace, saluted by all the guards inside the palace. They were very concerned by showing their enthusiasm and loyalty to the new regime in order to avoid questions about their patriotism. Each one was raising their right arm and yelling "Armenia First" when anyone was coming, in a pityful parody of the nazi salute. But Commander Petrossian had to keep to others his personnal criticism, as he was entering the Kerala's office.
-Ah, my dear Hovhannes, this is such a nice day, huh?
Drastamat Kanayan, Field Marshal of the Armenian Army, Kerala of the Armenian Nation, Maker of the Armenian Renewal, Saviour of Armenia By the Grace of God and the Apolistic Church, was contemplating Erevan's streets from his window. He knew that throughout the country, his Secret Police, still led by Tehlirian, was chasing and eliminating any source of opposition. His Revolution was well advanced. Father Romanos, one of the henchmen of the Catholicos, appointed Foreign Minister, multiplied visits to the German and Italian embassies in order to secure a pact with the fascist powers. The Fedayeens who were definitely opposed to him shut their mouths when he chose Garegin Ndjeh as his Minister of Interior. Business boss had put their candidate, Berch Keresteciyan, the former Director of the Ottoman Bank, in the Ministry of Economy, where he had accepted the investments of Calouste Gulbenkian, the day following the coup.
-Yes, I must agree, it's a lovely day, my Kerala.
More than a week before, alcohol flew freely in the corridors of the Presidential Palace, as all resistance had been crushed by the coupsters. Anyone had been expected a hostile reaction abroad. But nothing happened. Georgia and Kurdistan were preoccuped by their own internal conflicts, Greece with its own war, Assyria was too happy to see an authoritarian regime take place in a fellow Christian country, Turkey was still too weak to react. Germany and Italy sent congratulations, USSR only condemned the coup by giving an luxurious residence to exiled Mikoyan, France and United Kingdom barely agreed to give room for a democratic Armenian government in exile, and America was too obsessed by the upcoming elections to mourn the democracy they had put in place twenty years ago.
-Well, then send to the different Ministries my last decisions. I have decided to enhance the rearmament program, with German and Italian help. We will enter negociations with Assyria to conclude a military alliance. And everything must be ready for an attack against Kurdistan, Azerbaijan and Georgia by the early 1938-1939's. If anyone wants to know what I want to do, tell them I'm only concerned with the glory of Armenia. And restoring its former self.
