Siege of Van - Forces

Forces

After the disastrous depletion of the 3rd Army in the battle of Sarikamis, the gendarmerie, originally charged with police duties among civilian populations, transferred to the 3rd Army. The Ottoman Army tried to restore combat effectiveness. On 24 February 1915, Ottomans were forced to send the Harput, Diyarbakir, and Bitlis gendarmerie units to the city of Van. There were 52,000 Ottoman troops in the Caucuses war zone during this period, and 75% were located at the northern war zone beyond the province of Van. The Ottoman units in the Van province consisted of Van Gendarmerie subdivisions under the control of the Governor. The Van Gendarmerie Division also contained the artillery unit of Rafael de Nogale. The 36th Infantry Division was assembled from Mesopotamia on orders to control the southern part, near Lake Van. The 1st Expeditory Force held the front to the south of Lake Van.

A battalion dubbed "the butcher battalion (Turkish: kasab taburu)" was numbering some 5,000 men.

The Armenian population in the city had taken measures as well. The management established a unified authority ( "The Military Defense Authority" ) that consisted of Armenak Ekarian, Aram Manukian, Kaytsak Arakel, Bulgaratsi Gregory, Gabriel Semerjian, Hrant Galikian and Panos Terlemezian. Support services were set up and distribution of food, medical aid, arms shop (an established manufacture of gunpowder and arms that was capable of casting two guns), were organized. The Women's Union was founded but was mainly engaged in manufacturing clothing for combatants. In the face of imminent danger, representatives of various Armenian political parties (Ramkavar, Dashnaks) rallied together. The Van defenders numbered no more than 1500 combatants, who had only 505 rifles and 750 Mauser pistols and a small supply of ammunition. The Military Defense Authority issued orders to use ammunition with extra caution. The Aygestan neighborhood was divided into 5 areas of defense with 73 distinct positions.