The term fedayee was originally used during the Armenian national movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Still, it was also used to refer to the Armenian irregular forces in the early 1990s when the dispute with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh was turning into the First Nagorno-Karabakh War.
Role According to some estimates, the detachments played one of the decisive roles in the victory of the Armenian army, as they were the main force that fought in the first years of the war. These volunteer units formed the basis for the Armed Forces of Armenia.
List Here is a list of the major Armenian volunteer detachments during the First Nagorno-Karabakh War. Name In Armenian Transcribed Number(max. est.) Commander Notes Armenian National Army Հայոց Ազգային Բանակ (ՀԱԲ)Hayots' Azgayin Banak (HAB) Razmik VasilyanThe Armenian National Army (ANA) was formed on 24 April 1989 in Yerevan, on the 74th anniversary of the Armenian genocide. It was dissolved in 1990. 15 freedom fighters were killed from the military unit. Yerkrapah Volunteer BattalionShale Asher Horowitz, From Ethnic Conflict To Stillborn Reform: The Former Soviet Union And Yugoslavia, 2005, p. 83 «Երկրապահ» կամավորական ջոկատ «Yerkrapah» kamavorakan jokat Vazgen Sargsyan Name means "'The country is safe' volunteer brigade" Liberation Army Ազատագրական բանակAzatagrakan banak 300 Leonid AzkaldianIt was formed in January 1991 in Yerevan by volunteers from Armenia, the diaspora, and Artsakh. It was a large special operations force whose declared goal was to preserve the self-determination of the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh. Crusaders «Խաչակիրներ» ջոկատ «Khachakirner» jokat Garo Kahkejian The Deers «Եղնիկներ» ջոկատ«Yeghnikner» jokat 400 Shahen Meghrian Shushi Independent Battalion «Շուշի» առանձնակի գումարտակ«Shushi» arandznaki gumartak Jirair Sefilian Formed from mostly Syrian and Lebanese Armenians. Most were members of the ARF. Tigran the Great International Military Regiment «Մեծ Տիգրան» միջազգային ռազմական գունդըTigran Mets 400 Armenak Armenakyan Created in 1990 under the command of Vazgen Sargsyan, this regiment consisted of 40 volunteer detachments. Davit of Sasun Battalion «Սասունցի Դավիթ» կամավորական ջոկատ«Sasunts'i Davit'» kamavorakan jokat 500 Arkady Ter-Tadevosyan Dashnaktsakanner ԴաշնակցականներDashnakts'akanner 200 Tatul Krpeyan Members of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashanktsutyun). Sasun «Սասուն» ջոկատ«Sasun» jokat 100 Sasun Mikaelyan The name is ref. Sason.Cossack DetachmentIt consisted of 85 Cossacks who left Kuban voluntarily for Armenia. 14 died during the liberation of the village of Vank. . Ossetian Battalion Օսական ջոկատŌsakan jokat Mirza Abayev Ashot the Iron Աշոտ ԵրկաթAshot Yerkat' 250 Karapet Jadoyan ԶԱԴՈՅԱՆ ԿԱՐԱՊԵՏ ՄԿՐՏՉԻ name ref. Ashot II of Armenia General Andranik Անդրանիկ ԶորավարAndranik Zoravar 400 name ref Andranik Revengers ՎրիժառուներVrizharuner 200 Haydat ՀայդատHaydat 200 Mush ՄուշMush 300 Name ref. Muş Nork-Marash Նորք-ՄարաշNork-Marash 200 name ref. Nork, Yerevan and Kahramanmaraş Malatia-Sebastia Մալաթիա - ՍեբաստիաMalat'ia - Sebastia 200 Vahan Zatikyan name ref; Malatia-Sebastia District Arabo Battalion ԱրաբոArabo 200 Simon Achikgyozyan(followed by Manvel Yeghiazaryan) name ref. Arabo Glorious Warriors Պարապած մարտիկներParapats martikner 300 H.G. Mkrtchyan Detachment of Hrazdan Հրազդանյան ջոկատHrazdanyan jokat 200 Zarzand Danielian Tseghakron ՑեղակրոնTs'eghakron Hagop Khachatryan Daredevils of Sassoun Սասնա ծռերSasna tsrer Samvel Gevorgyan name ref. Sason Suicide Squad Մահապարտների ջոկատMahapartneri jokat 150 Alexander Tamanyan Nart ՆարտNart name ref. Nart saga? Black Panther Սեվ հովազSev hovaz Ruben Egoyan Cobra ԿոբրաKobra B. Agasaryan, N. Gulyan Aknalich ԱկնալիճAknalich name ref. Aknalich Echmiadzin detachment name ref. Echmiadzin Hadrut detachment name ref. Hadrut (town) Sisian detachment Սիսական կամավորական զորամիավորումSisakan kamavorakan zoramiavorum It was formed in August 1992 in Sis, from the union of the detachments of the villages of the region. 87 freedom soldiers were killed from the military unit. Kapan detachment name ref. Kapan Martakert detachment Norayr Danielian name ref. Martakert Nikol Duman Նիկոլ ԴումանNikol Duman Armen Martirosyan5th Vanadzor Motorized Rifle Volunteer BrigadeՎանաձորի 5-րդ մոտոհրաձգային կամավորական բրիգադVanadzori 5-rd motohradzgayin kamavorakan brigadIt was formed on November 28, 1992. It liberated more than 50 settlements of Artsakh. Among its notable members was journalist Vardan Drikyan. Artsvik-10 Battalion Sedrak SaroyanArmy of IndependenceIt was founded in late 1989 by members of the Union for National Self-Determination, including Ashot Navasardyan, Movses Gorgisyan, Azat Arshakyan, and Razmik Markosyan.
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