Turkish forces, in violation of the Armistice of Erzincan, moved towards Eastern Armenia in the spring of 1918. Aram's popular dictatorship is credited with successfully stopping the Turkish forces at the Battle of Sardarabad in late May 1918. A number of documents show that Aram headed the Armenian defense against the Turks. The battle is widely seen to have prevented the complete destruction of Armenians within their homeland.