The Armenian Genocide The first genocide of the

The Armenian Genocide The first genocide of the 20 th Century

Armenian Genocide Overview • The first genocide of the 20 th Century • Occurred in the Ottoman Empire, 1915 -1923 • More than 1. 5 million Armenians killed – 2 million lived in the Ottoman Empire at that time – Nearly every Armenian lost a family member • Perpetrated by the Young Turk Government • Main reason for genocide: “Turkification” • Pretexts for genocide – Religious differences – Economic differences – Scapegoat for WWI military losses

Historic Armenia The Ottoman Empire, 1914 • Armenia was a part of the Ottoman Empire. • The empire was Muslim. • Armenians remained Christians and did not have full equality under Islamic law.

l l l Sultan Abdul Hamid II, also known as the “Red Sultan” for his role in the genocide. In 1867 he came to power and attempted to stop revolutions in his empire. He did this by encouraging Muslim groups to settle in Armenian lands. He falsely charged the Armenians for rebelling without authority. The Muslims, backed by the Ottoman Empire, were allowed to attack the Armenians. Over the course of the next 2 years, 200, 000 Armenians died from attack and/or starvation.

The Young Turks In 1908, a group of young intellectuals over threw the sultan-called The Young Turks. l The Young Turks wanted to make the Ottoman Empire exclusively Turkish and Muslims. l In 1910, the Armenians were labeled enemies of Muslim Turkey (because they weren’t either Muslim or Turkish) l Enver Pasha, the leader of the Young Turks.

The Genocide Begins In 1914, Turkey entered WWI. A military offensive against Russia ended in disaster and Turkey accused the Armenians of aiding Russia. l On April 24, 1915 -Turkish authorities arrested and executed Armenian leaders in Constantinople. l

The Genocide Continues… In June 1915, the Armenian population was deported to the desserts of Syria and Iraq. Before they were deported, all able-bodied males were shot. l 25% of those that left Turkey would eventually arrive in Syria and Iraq. The majority of people were either murdered or died of thirst and starvation along the way. l

Use of new technologies • Women, children, and the elderly were loaded onto trains and relocated, unable to return to their homes • Refugees by the hundreds were forced into caves, fires were lit at the entrance and those inside were killed by asphyxiation in primitive gas chambers

The Genocide Ends In 1919, the Young Turks were put on trial for war crimes and were found guilty for the destruction of the Armenian people. l In 1923, a war hero Mustafa Ataturk came to power, formed the Republic of Turkey, and released all prisoners found guilty of war crimes (including the Young Turks). l Mustafa Kemel Ataturk

September 16, 1916. To the Government of Allepo, It was at first communicated to you that the government… decided to destroy completely all the Armenians living in Turkey… An end must be put to their existence, however criminal the measures taken may be, and no regard must be paid to either age or sex… -Talaat Pasha, Minister of the Interior August 22, 1939. Accordingly, I have placed my death-head formation in readiness—for the present only in the East—with orders to them to send to death mercilessly and without compassion, men, women, and children of Polish derivation and language. Only thus shall we gain the living space which we need. Who, after all, speaks to-day of the annihilation of the Armenians? -Adolf Hitler

Genocide Denial To this day the Turkish Government is actively and aggressively engaged in Genocide denial l Turkey passed a law in 2004 known as Article 301 which makes it a criminal offense to mention the Armenian Genocide in Turkey. l Turkey currently pays millions to US lobbying and PR firms to plan and implement its denial campaign with the US government and in the US media l Turkey has funded Turkish studies chairs at prestigious universities like U of Chicago and Princeton to promote the “Turkish view” of the history l

20 th Century’s Legacy of Genocide 1915 -1923 1932 -1933 1938 -1945 1975 -1979 1994 1995 Turkish Genocide of Armenians, Assyrians, and Pontian Greeks Ukrainian Famine-Genocide Nazi Holocaust of Jews, Poles, Gypsies Cambodia Rwanda Bosnia Today Tomorrow Darfur ? ? https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=BSchiq. WIB 6 g