Drastamat Kanayan

Drastamat Kanayan (Dro) commanded Armenian forces at the Battle of Sardarabad, a decisive engagement that stopped the Ottoman advance into Eastern Armenia. The victory allowed the establishment of the First Republic of Armenia.

Dro was appointed Minister of Defense in the government of the First Republic of Armenia. He organized the Armenian army and oversaw military operations against Ottoman and Azerbaijani forces during the republic's brief existence.

Dro participated in the Armenian delegation that negotiated the Treaty of Batum with the Ottoman Empire. The treaty forced Armenia to cede significant territories, but Dro argued it was necessary to prevent total annihilation of the Armenian population.

During World War II, Dro collaborated with Nazi Germany, helping to form the Armenian Legion of the Wehrmacht. He believed this would help liberate Armenia from Soviet rule, but this decision remains highly controversial among Armenians.

After World War II, Dro fled to the United States to avoid prosecution for collaboration. He settled in Boston, where he remained active in Armenian diaspora politics until his death in 1956.