Introduction

This chapter traces Armenian for federation (ARF) policies and initiatives to answer the important question whether or not the party and Armenian community largely remained loyal to the constitutional regime and only resumed their appeals to Europe after government's repeated failure to implement promised reforms. It examines the circulars, correspondence, and minutes of the ARF, particularly its branches in Constantinople and Erzerum, which determined policy towards the Ottoman government and Turkish parties for the Western and Eastern Bureaus of the ARF, respectively. Letters between key leadership figures give vital insight into their thinking and analysis of political events. The chapter provides an analysis of the policies of the ARF regarding the government, the CUP, the issue of European intervention, and administrative, land, judiciary, and security reforms for the Armenian provinces. It integrates critical primary resource with the existing research on the last years of the Ottoman Empire that has been largely based on Ottoman and European sources.