History of the armenian genocide
Context/ Applicable History
- The Balkan Wars during 1912 and 1913 may have provided the Young Turk Party to seize control and begin the genocide
- World War I drew attention away from the genocide, causing inaction from the other countries that could intervene
- By the early 19th century, the Ottoman Empire had lost most of its territory. The government called for a restructuring and new start to regain control, but the system continued to crumble. Because Armenians would not assimilate to the new Turkish rule and convert to Islam, they were seen as a threat to a unified state and unified religion.
- The majority of the Turkish people were Muslim, while the majority of Armenians were Christian. Because of their religion, the Armenians were seen as second class citizens. This meant that they could not testify in court against the Turkish people, they were blamed for problems within the country, and they were often confronted with animosity by their Turkish neighbors.
- In 1895 the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, Abdul Hamid II, unleashed a massacre, or pogrom, leading to the deaths of 200,000- 300,000 Armenians in one year. However, the slaughtering ended quickly and peace was restored for a period of time.
- In 1908 the Young Turks came to power, overthrowing the Sultan. They had a goal of equality for all citizens and peace between the Turks and Armenians. However, these promises went sour.
- By 1913, the Young Turk Party had become a dictatorship, continuing to subjugate Armenians. There was a widespread fear that the Armenians would separate themselves from Turkey, creating their own state. This would prevent Turkey's original goal of regaining it's old territory.
- One of the largest factors that contributed to the beginning of the Armenian Genocide in 1915 was the beginning of WWI in 1914. The rest of the world was occupied with the impending war that would jeopardize hundreds of countries' freedoms. No other countries intervened to save the Armenians, reassuring the Turkish government that the genocide would be successful.
The Armenian Genocide (1915-1923)
- Armenian men were taken from their families, escorted out of towns roped together, and shot in killing fields.
- Thousands of women and children were forced to march into the Syrian desert with no food or water.
- Armenian soldiers' weapons were confiscated and they were killed by their fellow Turkish soldiers
- Armenian women abandoned their religion and wore the traditional Turkish garb, marrying Turkish men to avoid execution and exile.
- The Young Turks made the state the focus of allegiance. The state was demanded their citizens loyalty above all else, including God and family.
- The Turkish dictators entered into a secret alliance with Germany in WWI
- While actual numbers of deaths is debated, scholars estimate that between 1 million and 1.5 million Armenians were killed between 1915-1923. However. Some scholars even assert that up to 2 million lives were lost. The actual numbers will never be known, because the Turkish government refuses to release the majority of its records concerning this time period even today.
How it Stopped
- The Axis defeat in WWI brought the Ottoman Empire to an end. The Allied Powers condemned the acts of the Young Turks in the genocide, and they faced the consequences including court-martial and condemnation of chief perpetrators.
Groups Involved
- Turks- The favored people during the Armenian Genocide. They practiced Islam and many supported the Young Turk movement or were forced into supporting it.
- Armenians- The people who were targeted during the Armenian Genocide. They practiced Christianity and were considered second-class citizens. They are often called gavurs.
- Young Turk Party- Overthrew Sultan of Ottoman Empire in 1908, seeking a government that treated all citizens equally. However, by 1913, the revolution went sour. They created the idea of a homogenous state cleansed of Armenian citizens.
- Teshkilati Mahususa- Group charged by the Young Turk Party to head the Armenian Genocide.
Who was responsible?
- The Young Turks, in a flurry of Turkish nationalism, wished to destroy the previous government policy of multinationalism. In order to achieve this end, the Young Turks perpetrated the mass murder of Christian Armenians in an attempt to make Turkey uniform in its beliefs and bring unity.
** Information taken from Teaching About Genocide: Issues, Approaches, and Resources by Samuel Totten