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During World War I, approximately 300,000 Western Armenians, having escaped genocide, found refuge in Armenian-populated areas of the Caucasus. Great Britain played an important role in receiving them and providing them with basic living conditions. The purpose of this article is to present the history of the charitable activities of the British organizations “Armenian Red Cross and Refugee Fund” and “Armenian Refugee Fund (Lord Mayor's Fund)”. These organizations, through donations from the United Kingdom and funds from the British treasury, saved thousands of people from starvation, disease, and physical destruction. Methods and materials: To create a comprehensive picture of the activities carried out by British and Armenian charitable organizations in 1915-1917, the article uses methods such as qualitative classification of primary sources, comparison of handwritten and printed documents, verification of their authenticity, as well as analysis and comparison of historical facts. Analysis: By comparing documents stored in the relevant funds of the National Archives of Armenia, Armenian-language scientific literature, and materials published in the periodicals of that time, the article presents the main directions and results of the activities of these organizations, as well as their connections with Armenian charitable foundations operating in the region. Results: Working with Armenian charities operating in the Caucasus, British charities provided significant assistance to Armenian refugees by establishing children's shelters, workshops, canteens, and hospitals. After the end of the World War, when Turkish troops were withdrawn from the territory of the newly formed Republic of Armenia, many of these organizations returned and continued their activities until 1926. Authors’ contributions: The research was carried out with the direct participation of both authors: the first author prepared the history of the activities of the “Armenian Red Cross and Refugee Fund” for publication, while the second author prepared the history of the activities of the “Armenian Refugee Fund (Lord Mayor's Fund)” in 1915–1917.
Published in: Գիտական աշխատություններ
Volume 28, Issue 2, pp. 66-66