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''Our Smallest Ally: a brief account of the Assyrian Nation in the Great War'' is a book published in 1920 by William A. Wigram.
Wigram, an
The efforts of the Patriarch's Assyrians on the side of Russia during the war, prior to the overthrow of 
In addition, the Patriarch was decorated with the Order of St. Anna (pictured below) and was promised another additional order that only the Czar himself was able to bestow. However, the ousting of the Czar in the 
On 3 March 1918, Mar Benyamin along with many of his 150 bodyguards were assassinated by
Anglican
Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...
priest part of the Archbishop of Canterbury's mission to the Assyrians, gives a first-hand account of contributions of the Assyrian volunteers during the Great War
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting took place mainly in Europe and th ...
.
The Assyrian nation
The Assyrian nation was led by their Patriarch,Shimun XIX Benyamin
Mar Shimun XXI Benyamin (1887– 3 March 1918) () served as the 117th Catholicos-Patriarch of the Church of the East.
Life
He was an ethnic Assyrian, born in 1887 in the village of Qochanis in the Hakkari Province, Ottoman Empire (modern ...
, the circumstances of which were partly due to the Ottoman ''Millet'' system, in which religious bodies were treated as ethnic groups and were separated and afforded local autonomy. Upon joining on the side of the Allies during World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, the Patriarch was special commander of one of the Battalions.
The efforts of the Patriarch's Assyrians on the side of Russia during the war, prior to the overthrow of Czar Nicholas II
Nicholas II (Nikolai Alexandrovich Romanov; 186817 July 1918) or Nikolai II was the last reigning Emperor of Russia, King of Congress Poland, and Grand Duke of Finland from 1 November 1894 until his abdication on 15 March 1917. He married ...
, were recognized in 1917 on 25 October, when 200 grade four Cross of St. George medals were delivered to Mar Benyamin to distribute to his soldiers that showed valor.
In addition, the Patriarch was decorated with the Order of St. Anna (pictured below) and was promised another additional order that only the Czar himself was able to bestow. However, the ousting of the Czar in the Russian Revolution
The Russian Revolution was a period of Political revolution (Trotskyism), political and social revolution, social change in Russian Empire, Russia, starting in 1917. This period saw Russia Dissolution of the Russian Empire, abolish its mona ...
s of 1917 prevented this second decoration being awarded to Mar Benyamin.
On 3 March 1918, Mar Benyamin along with many of his 150 bodyguards were assassinated by Simko Shikak
Ismail Agha Shikak (, ), also known as Simko (, ; 1887–1930), was a Kurds, Kurdish chieftain of the Shekak (tribe), Shekak tribe. He was a nationalist warlord who controlled significant land and led thousands of Kurdish rebels who defeated th ...
(Ismail Agha Shikak), a Kurdish agha, in the town of Kuhnashahir in Salmas
Salmas () is a city in the Central District of Salmas County, West Azerbaijan province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district. It is northwest of Lake Urmia, near Turkey.
Etymology
The original name of Salmas was ...
(Persia) under a truce
A ceasefire (also known as a truce), also spelled cease-fire (the antonym of 'open fire'), is a stoppage of a war in which each side agrees with the other to suspend aggressive actions often due to mediation by a third party. Ceasefires may b ...
flag, in the context of the ongoing Assyrian genocide
The Sayfo (, ), also known as the Seyfo or the Assyrian genocide, was the mass murder and deportation of Assyrian/Syriac Christians in southeastern Anatolia and Persia's Azerbaijan province by Ottoman forces and some Kurdish tribes during ...
.Reforging a Forgotten History: Iraq and the Assyrians in the Twentieth Century by Sargon Donabed. Edinburgh University Press. Czar Nicholas II himself was assassinated by the Bolsheviks along with his family in July 1918.
See also
* William Ainger Wigram *Assyrian people
Assyrians (, ) are an ethnic group Indigenous peoples, indigenous to Mesopotamia, a geographical region in West Asia. Modern Assyrians Assyrian continuity, share descent directly from the ancient Assyrians, one of the key civilizations of Mesop ...
* Assyrian volunteers
* Middle Eastern theatre of World War I
The Middle Eastern theatre of World War I saw action between 30 October 1914 and 30 October 1918. The combatants were, on one side, the Ottoman Empire, with some assistance from the other Central Powers; and on the other side, the British Em ...
, Mesopotamian campaign
The Mesopotamian campaign or Mesopotamian front () was a campaign in the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I fought between the British Empire, with troops from United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Britain, Australia and the vast major ...
and Persian campaign (World War I)
The Persian campaign or invasion of Iran () was a series of military conflicts between the Ottoman Empire, British Empire and Russian Empire in various areas of what was then neutral Qajar Iran, beginning in December 1914 and ending with the Ar ...
* Assyrian Levies in the British Mandate in Iraq
References
{{Reflist Assyrian nationalism Assyrian culture Books about war Books about Assyrian people Books about Iraq Books about British politicians Books about Syria Books about Turkey Books about Iran