History of Armenia

Bagratid Armenia, 884 CE–1045 Draft, not yet reviewed

Bagratid Armenia was an independent Armenian state established by Ashot I of the Bagratuni dynasty in the early 880s following nearly two centuries of foreign domination of Greater Armenia under Arab Umayyad and Abbasid rule. The Abbasid Caliphate recognized Ashot as "prince of princes" in 862 and, later on, as king (in 884 or 885). During the reign of Ashot III, Ani became the kingdom's capital and grew into a thriving economic and cultural center. The kingdom was finally taken by Byzantine forces in 1045, after Gagik II continued to resist.

Seat of power: Ani

Rulers

• Abas I of Armenia, king of Armenia, 928 CE–953 CE
• Kiurike I, king of Armenia, 970 CE–991 CE

Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia, 1080–1375 Draft, not yet reviewed

The Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia was an Armenian state formed during the High Middle Ages by Armenian refugees fleeing the Seljuk invasion of Armenia. The kingdom had its origins in the principality founded c. 1080 by the Rubenid dynasty. In 1198, with the crowning of Leo I, King of Armenia of the Rubenid dynasty, Cilician Armenia became a kingdom. After relentless attacks by the Mamluks in Egypt in the fourteenth century, the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia, then under the rule of the Lusignan dynasty and mired in an internal religious conflict, finally fell in 1375.

Seat of power: Tarsus

First Republic of Armenia, 1918–1920 Draft, not yet reviewed

The First Republic of Armenia was an independent Armenian state that existed from May 1918 to 2 December 1920 in the Armenian-populated territories of the former Russian Empire. It was the first Armenian state since the Middle Ages. During its first winter, hundreds of thousands of refugees in the country who had fled the Armenian genocide died from starvation or exposure. In late 1920, Armenia was invaded by Kemalist Turkey, ending with its partition and sovietisation by the Russian SFSR, with the latter founding the superseding Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic.

Seat of power: Yerevan

Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic, 1920–1991 Draft, not yet reviewed

The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic was one of the constituent republics of the Soviet Union, located in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Soviet Armenia was established on 29 November 1920, with the Sovietisation of the short-lived First Republic of Armenia. As part of the Soviet Union, Armenia experienced stabilization and security from hostile neighbors as well as notable economic, cultural, and educational advancements. An independence referendum held on 21 September 1991 was supported by more than 99% of voters, and with the dissolution of the Soviet Union on 26 December 1991, the Armenian SSR ceased to exist.

Seat of power: Yerevan

Republic of Armenia, 1991 to today Draft, not yet reviewed

The Republic of Armenia became independent in 1991 during the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Armenia is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia to the north, Azerbaijan to the east, and Iran and the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhchivan to the south. Armenia supported the once de facto independent Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), which had seceded from Azerbaijan in 1991, until Azerbaijan reincorporated the region through a siege and military offensive in 2023.

Seat of power: Yerevan

Rulers

• Levon Ter-Petrosyan, President of Armenia, 1991–1998
• Robert Kocharyan, President of Armenia, 1998–2008
• Serzh Sargsyan, President of Armenia, 2008–2018
• Armen Sarkissian, President of Armenia, 2018–2022
• Vahagn Khachatryan, President of Armenia, 2022 to today
• Alen Simonyan, President of Armenia, 2022–2022