Drastamat Kanayan
| Drastamat Kanayan Դրաստամատ Կանայեան |
|
|---|---|
 |
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| Defense Minister of Armenia | |
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In office 24 November 1920 – 2 December 1920 |
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| Preceded by | Ruben Ter-Minasian |
| Succeeded by | position abolished |
| Civil Commissioner of Van | |
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In office December 1917 – 7 April 1918 |
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| Preceded by | position established |
| Succeeded by | position abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
31 May 1884 Surmalinsky Uyezd, Erivan Governorate, Russian Empire |
| Died | 8 March 1956 (aged 71) Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Nationality | Armenian |
| Political party | Armenian Revolutionary Federation |
| Military service | |
| Nickname(s) | General Dro |
| Allegiance |
 Dashnaktsutyun Russian Empire (1914–17) Republic of Armenia (1918–20)
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| Years of service | 1914—1920 1941—1945 |
| Commands |
2nd Battalion Volunteer Corps Armed Forces of Yerevan 812th Armenian Battalion |
| Battles/wars |
Armenian National Liberation Movement World War I Georgian-Armenian War Armenian-Azerbaijani War Turkish-Armenian War World War II |
Drastamat Kanayan (Armenian: Դրաստամատ Կանայեան; 31 May 1884 – 8 March 1956), better known as Dro (Դրօ), was an Armenian military commander and politician, a member of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation. He served as Defense Minister of Armenia in 1920, during the country's brief independence. During World War II, he led the Armenian Legion.
Drastamat Kanayan was born in Surmali, Russian Empire (present-day Iğdır, Turkey) in 1884. He was the son of Martiros Kanayan, the head of the Kanayan clan in Igdir, and his wife, Horom. At an early age, Martiros enrolled his son to the parish school of Igdir. Drastamat would skip school to hang out near the military barracks of Igdir because of his interest in the military exercises held there. Igdir at the time was an important military post where between 8000 and 10000 Russian troops were stationed including infantry, Cossacks, cavalry and border guards. Most of the inhabitants of the village thrived by trading with the soldiers. Noticing that his son had no interest in books and learning, Martiros pulled him out of the village school and enrolled him to the Yerevan Gymnasium school.
Drastamat was no better in the Gymnasium school as the grades he achieved were barely enough for a promotion. Like all government schools in the provinces of Russia, there was a policy of Russification that limited education in the Armenian language to religion only. Inspired by stories of General Andranik's triumphs in the Ottoman Empire and the spread of nationalism by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, Drastamat joined a secret youth movement in his school that opposed the Czar's government and promoted Armenian nationalism.
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Wikipedia