Armenians in the Ottoman Empire in general and the Armenian revolutionary activities in particular have been the subject of heated discussions among the historians of the Ottoman Empire. Historians have also devoted numerous efforts to unfold the real causes of the Armenian rebellions that had intensified after the 1890s. It is clear from all accounts that the Ottoman military did not have an easy time while putting down these rebellions. As a matter of fact, Armenian revolutionaries were able to defeat Ottoman forces during the Van revolt of May 1915, capture the city and hand it over to the invading Russian army.