Armenian Genocide

Genocide  Any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such: (a) Killing members of the group; (b) Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; (c) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part; (d) Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group; (e) Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group

History of genocide  Slave Trade (Europe, US, & African tribes)  Native Americans (US)  Herero (Germany – Imperialism)  Armenian (Ottoman Empire)  Ukrainian (Soviet Union)  Nanking, China (Japan)  Holocaust (Germany)  Cultural Revolution (Communist China)  Cambodia (Khmer Rouge)  Bosnia-Herzegovina (Bosnian Serbs)  Rwanda (Hutu tribe)  Darfur (government militias)

History of Armenia  Ancient people (7 th Century BC)  1 st to accept Christianity  Accomplished in arts/sciences

History of Armenia  Turkish invasions Controlled by Ottoman Empire (16 th Century)

History of Armenia  Armenians face increasing oppression Labeled “infidels” Discriminatory taxes increased Censorship

What causes the genocide?  Ottoman empires loses land to Russia Russian Armenians try to help  Treaty of Berlin – Imperialism Clause for more rights for Armenians Not followed – Armenians protest and demand some rights

Hamidian Massacres  Late 19 th Cent – 1800s  Sultan tired of protests  Response to tax protest ,000 to 300,000 killed Thousands flee to US & Europe 1 st international mission of Red Cross

Calm before the Storm  1908 – Reform-minded nationalists overthrow sultan possibility of more equal gov’t  New constitutional gov’t with equal rights Hopeful of protection against violence

Adana Massacre  April 1909  Supporters of Hamidian massacre & the sultan  Restore the sultan 30,000 killed, city destroyed  No punishment  Policy of “Turkey for Turks” accepted by most in Empire

Armenian Genocide  Ottoman gov’t worried Ottoman Armenians helping Russia  WWI Russia vs Ottoman on land with lots of Armenians Russia wins Ottoman blames Armenians

Armenian Genocide (cont’d.)  April 24, 1915  High standing Armenians taken & killed  Most other men killed on the spot  Women and children gathered Send to Syrian Desert  Train or forced march