THE IMPORTANCE OF PARIS-BASED ZHOGHOVURD (PEOPLE) DAILY NEWSPAPER IN RESEARCHING THE ARMENIAN DIASPORA’S INVOLVEMENT IN THE FRENCH RESISTANCE (1941-1945)

Abstract

The participation of the Armenian Diaspora in the French Resistance has been the subject of various historical studies. Numerous documentaries and feature films have been made on this topic, generally focusing on the famous Armenian fighter Missak Manouchian and his heroic group. Over recent years, the memoirs of Armenian Resistance heroes such as Meline Manouchian, Mihran Mavian, Arsène Tchakarian, and others have been published.

However, the Armenian Diaspora in France, the majority of whose members were survivors of the 1915 Armenian Genocide, wrote many heroic pages in the history of the Resistance. Unfortunately, many of these events, their participants, and the heroes of those victories remain largely unknown to this day. There are numerous unexplored sources, including Armenian newspapers published in France during the war and the post-war period. One such publication is the Zhoghovurd newspaper, which was issued in Paris under the editorship of Shahe Tatourian from 1943 to 1948. The pages of this newspaper contain many materials written by the participants and witnesses of the events, which could be of significant importance for studying the involvement of the Armenian Diaspora in the French Resistance.

The valuable content of this periodical could be divided into several groups. The first group includes the memoirs of the Armenian participants of Resistance about various actions and their friends who lost their lives during different operations. Among this it’s important to note the names of notorious Armenian fighters M.Mavian, A.Konstandinian, D. Davitian and others. The second group contains several components, including information about the number of Armenians who participated in various actions and operations, their biographies, and posthumous commemorations. Particularly interesting is the third group of information from the pages of the Zhoghovurd newspaper. This group includes data on Armenians returning from Nazi death camps, as well as the efforts of the Armenian community to reintegrate and rehabilitate former prisoners.