Armenian volunteer units The Armenian volunteer units ( " Hay kamavorakan jokatner " ) were units composed of Armenians within the Imperial Russian Army during World War I . Composed of several groups at battalion strength , its ranks were exclusively made up of Armenians from the Russian Empire , though there were also a number of Armenian from the Ottoman Empire . The Russian Armenian Volunteer Corps took part in military activities in the Middle Eastern theater of World War I . Establishment . In August 1914 , following Germany ' s declaration of war against Russia , Count Illarion Vorontsov - Dashkov , the Russian viceroy of the Caucasus , approached Armenian leaders in the Tiflis to broach the idea of a formation of a separate fighting corps in the Russian army made up of the empire ' s Armenian subjects . Already Armenians were being enrolled in the regular Russian army and being sent to the eastern front but Vorontsov - Dashkov was offering to furnish weapons and supplies to outfit four detachments that were envisioned to take part in fighting against the Ottoman Empire ( the Ottomans would not enter the war until October of that year ) . His offer was received warmly and within a few weeks Armenian volunteers all throughout the Caucasus began to enlist . Responsibility for its formation was given to a special committee created by the Armenian National Council , which coordinated its activities from Tiflis , Yerevan and Alexandrapol . Establishment . The establishment of Armenian volunteer units in the Russian army dates back to the summer of 1914 . Count Illarion Ivanovich Vorontsov - Dashkov consulted with the Mayor of Tbilisi Alexandre Khatsian , the primate of Tbilisi , Bishop Mesrop , and the prominent civic leader Dr . Hakob Zavriev about the creation of Armenian volunteer detachments . These units would be employed on the Caucasus front in World War I . As the Armenian reservists in Russia had already been drafted into the regular armed forces and sent to European theatre of World War I , the volunteer units would make up of Armenians who were not citizens of the empire or not obligated to serve . Many of them who were living in Caucuses and many of them were impatient to take arms to liberate their homeland . In several towns occupied by the Russians the Armenian students have shown themselves ready to join the Russian volunteer army . Besides the regular soldiers of the Russian Caucasus Army , nearly 20 , 000 Armenian volunteers expressed their readiness to take up arms against the Ottoman Empire as early as 1914 . The size of these units increased during the war and Boghos Nubar gave the summary of these units in a public latter to the Paris Peace Conference , 1919 as 150 , 000 Armenians in the volunteer units and 50 , 000 Armenian militia . Order of Battle , 1914 . The acting commander Andranik Ozanian under Viceroyalty of the Caucasus Illarion Ivanovich Vorontsov - Dashkov . Andranik ' s detachment was assigned to Persian Campaign along the Tovmas Nazarbekian . The second , third and fourth units were assigned to Caucasus Campaign . Drastamat Kanayan and Armen Garo directed the 2nd battalion over the offensives around Lake Van , ( Vaspurakan ) . The 3rd & 4th battalion commanded by Hamazasp and Keri were assigned to the positions along the Kars Oblast . Enver Pasha ' s offensive , the Battle of Sarikamish , was planned with great care , and had a great chance of success if all three wings of the Third Army could reach their objectives on time . The Ottoman tenth army corps , during its march from Olti to Sarikamish , suffered a delay of 24 hours in the Barduz Pass , due to the heroic resistance of the " " 4th battalion of the Armenian volunteers " " . This delay enabled the Russian Caucasus Army to concentrate a sufficient force around Sarikamish , resulting in the destruction of the Ottoman Third Army . Order of Battle , 1915 . The acting commander Andranik Ozanian under Viceroyalty of the Caucasus Nicholas Nikolaevich . During the Siege of Van Armenian detachments provided relief , there were 20 , 000 Armenian Volunteers under the unit that entered Van on May 16 , 1915 which these Armenian battalions led Russian regulars into Van . Later same place on October 15 , under heavy fight around the region Lake Van , these battalions had lost five hundred ( Armenian soldiers ) and there were more than twelve hundred wounded or missing . Order of Battle , 1916 . The volunteer detachment contingents , fighting under Armenian commanders , were observed into Russian Caucasian Army as rifle battalions under Russian officers . Order of Battle , 1917 . As the war advanced , the Armenian reservists of the Eastern Front slowly quit from the Tsarist army to join the Armenian national forces . Around 1916 , more than 1 , 000 Armenian soldiers quit from the Tsarist army and joined the Armenian irregular units ( Fedayee ) . In 1917 , the Russian Caucasus Front collapsed following the abdication of the Tsar . Beginning with 1917 , Armenian National Organization of the Caucasus , Armenian National Council , asked the Armenian soldiers and officers scattered throughout Russian occupied regions to gradually be brought together . The plan was to mobilize Armenians on the Caucasian front . With that purpose in view , an Armenian Military Committee was formed with General Bagradouni as its president . These Armenian conscripts and volunteers in the Russian Army later established the Army Core of the Democratic Republic of Armenia .