page_title: First Republic of Armenia
section_title: Administration
hierarchical_section_title: First Republic of Armenia / Administration
caption_attribution_description: English: The Cabinet of the Armenian Republic taken at Erivan, Armenia, Oct. 1, 1919. Left to right, sitting: A. Sahakian, Alexander Khatissian, General K. Araradian. Left to right, standing: Nikol Aghbalian, A. Gulkandanian, S. Araradian.
context_page_description: The First Republic of Armenia, officially known at the time of its existence as the Republic of Armenia, was the first modern Armenian state since the loss of Armenian statehood in the Middle Ages.
  The republic was established in the Armenian-populated territories of the disintegrated Russian Empire, known as Eastern Armenia or Russian Armenia. The leaders of the government came mostly from the Armenian Revolutionary Federation. The First Republic of Armenia bordered the Democratic Republic of Georgia to the north, the Ottoman Empire to the west, Persia to the south, and the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic to the east. It had a total land area of roughly 70,000 km², and a population of 1.3 million.
  The Armenian National Council declared the independence of Armenia on 28 May 1918. From the very onset, Armenia was plagued with a variety of domestic and foreign problems. A humanitarian crisis emerged from the aftermath of the Armenian Genocide as tens of thousands of Armenian refugees from the Ottoman Empire settled there. The republic lasted for over two years, during which time it was involved in several armed conflicts caused by territorial disputes.
context_section_description: On May 30, 1918 the Armenian Revolutionary Federation had decided that Armenia should be a republic under a provisional coalition government. The declaration stated that the Republic of Armenia was to be a self-governing state, endowed with a constitution, the supremacy of state authority, independence, sovereignty, and plenipotentiary power. Kajaznuni became the country's first Prime Minister and Aram Manukian was the first minister of Interior.
  The constitution granted universal suffrage to all citizens, regardless of qualifiers, who were at least twenty years old. The first elections under the new constitution occurred between 21 and 23 June 1919 and of the 80 members elected to Parliament, three were women: Perchuhi Partizpanyan-Barseghyan, Varvara Sahakyan and Katarine Zalyan-Manukyan 
  Armenia established a Ministry of Interior and created a police force. The Armenian parliament passed a law on the police on April 21, 1920, specifying its structure, jurisdiction, and responsibilities. The Interior Ministry was also responsible for communications and telegraph, railroad, and the public school system, in addition to enforcing law and order. The reforms came soon and each of these departments became ministries.
  In 1919, the leaders of the Republic had to deal with issues on three fronts: domestic, regional, and international. The Armenian Congress of Eastern Armenians that took control in 1918 fell apart and in June 1919, the first national elections would be held.  During the 1920s, which began under the premiership of Hovhannes Kajaznuni, Armenians from within the former Russian Empire and the United States would assist in developing the fledgling Republic's judicial system. In January 1919 another important milestone was completed by the Armenian Parliament, which was the opening of the country's first state university, Yerevan State University.
  Speakers of the Parliament of Republic of Armenia
  Serop Zakaryan (30 June 1918 - 1 August 1918)
  Avetik Sahakyan (1 August 1918 - 1 August 1919)
  Avetis Aharonian (1 August 1919 - 4 November 1920)
  Hovhannes Kajaznuni (4 November 1920 - 2 December 1920)
  Prime Ministers in the Republic of Armenia
  Hovhannes Kajaznuni (30 June 1918 – 28 May 1919) (in Tbilisi, Georgia until 19 July 1918)
  Alexander Khatisian (28 May 1919 – 5 May 1920)
  Hamazasp "Hamo" Ohanjanian (5 May 1920 – 25 November 1920)
  Simon Vratsian (25 November 1920 – 2 December 1920)
caption: Members of the Second Cabinet, October 1, 1919. Left to right: A. Sahakian, Alexander Khatisian, General C. Araratian, Nikol Aghbalian, A. Gulkandanian, S. Araradian.
exif: {}