The Armenian Genocide April 24, 1915 – 1917

Historical Overview of the Armenians Looking at the historical overview of the Armenians, what conclusion did we come to as to why the Armenians were so often conquered? They were at a geographic crossroads (much like ancient Israel)

Define millet system. The millet system was an administrative system designed to give ethnic minorities a certain amount of internal control. The Turkish rulers of the Ottoman Empire developed the millet system to control their ethno-religious minorities.

Who was at the head of each millet system? The head of each religious establishment In the case of the Armenians, it was the Patriarch of the Armenian Church in the Ottoman Empire. In this system, Armenians enjoyed some cultural autonomy, and the Armenian Church a particularly important role

Treatment of Armenians under Ottoman Turk Control Following the conquest of the Armenian plateau by the Ottoman Turks in the early 16th century, Armenians experienced periods of relative calm and periods of harsh treatment under their Ottoman rulers. On the whole, until the middle of the 19th century, the Ottoman government- under the millet system- showed tolerance toward the Armenians and referred to them as the “loyal community”.

As the Ottoman Empire declined in the late 1800s, discrimination against Armenians increased / decreased. (circle one). INCREASED The reason? In the 1800s, the Ottoman Empire was confronted with economic decline. At the same time the ethno-religious minorities of the Empire were making increasing demands for equal rights and democracy. Some of them, such as the Greeks, were able to achieve their independence in the early 19th century

Identify three ways the Armenians were second class citizens: They could not testify in court They paid extra taxes They could not bear arms or serve in the army

Along with the Armenians, what other two ethno-religious groups were treated as second class citizens? Jews Greeks

A) What leader of the Ottoman Empire attempted to preserve the state by force and brutal tactics? Abdul Hamid II From 1894-1896, approximately how many Armenians were slaughtered? 200,000 Why? Because he was fearful that Armenian demands for reform might lead to independence

Preconditions of the Armenian Genocide 1. Loss of Territories- referred to by Europeans as “the sick man of Europe” 2. Economic Reversals the balance of trade had shifted; the Ottoman Empire had now become a debtor to Europe 3. Worsening Policy of Discrimination Ottoman officials began to look for a scapegoat for economic problems 4. Armenian Demands for Reform Young intellectuals exposed to ideas of the Enlightenment advocated for a constitution; the Ottoman Constitution was proclaimed in 1876 5. Foreign Intervention- countries like Great Britain and Russia used the problems of the minorities as an excuse to interfere 6. Repressive Reactions 1876 Abdul Hamid II revoked the constitution in 1878; this ended the reform movement

Ottoman Empire at its Height, mid-16th c.

Ottoman Decline by the early 20th Century

Dissatisfaction with Abdul Hamid II led to the rise of what group? The Committee of Union and Progress What was their nickname? The Young Turks Originally sought to restore the constitution They were welcomed at first by the Armenians Over the course of time, however, they evolved into a military dictatorship.

What was the guiding force of the Young Turks that spelled disaster for the Armenians?   Extreme Turkish nationalism

The Genocidal Process Identify: Stage 1 of the Armenian Genocide Kill men age 20-45 Armenian men had been conscripted into the army; disarmed; and eventually starved, beaten to death or actually gunned down. Stage 2 of the Armenian Genocide Round up/kill the intellectuals and leaders

Identify the reasons why these two groups were targeted: Group A- With the men gone, there was no one left to protect the women and children. Group B- With the intellectuals gone, there was no one left to organize resistance.

What symbolic date for Armenians parallels November 9/10, 1938 (Kristallnacht)? April 24, 1915 On the night of April 23-24, hundreds of Armenian intellectuals and community leaders in the capital were rounded up and imprisoned. Politicians, priests, scientists, lawyers, doctors and writers were soon deported to the inner provinces where nearly all of them were murdered by the authorities. This process was soon repeated throughout the empire. Thus, April 24th represents for the Armenians the symbolic beginning date of the Armenian Genocide.

The Genocidal Process 1915-1923: World War I, the Ottoman Empire, and the Armenians When WWI broke out in the summer of 1914, Russia, Great Britain and France were allied against Germany and Austria- Hungary. The Young Turks considered Russia the traditional enemy of the Ottoman Empire, mostly because Russia had been expanding its empire at the expense of the Ottomans. Russia also controlled large parts of Central Asia that were mostly populated by Turkish speaking peoples. It seemed natural, then, when war broke out for the Ottoman Empire to ally itself with Germany and Austria-Hungary. Their goal was to defeat Russia and to gain control of Turkish speaking populated regions across the Russian Empire, thus achieving unity of these peoples and realizing their dream of a Pan-Turkic Empire.

The problem with geography… Unfortunately, the Armenians stood in the way The Armenian Plateau straddles the Russo-Ottoman frontier and would inevitably become a battleground between the two powers. The Armenians would suffer severely no matter who might eventually win the war

The three leaders of the Young Turks were known as the Triumvirate The three leaders of the Young Turks were known as the Triumvirate. What were their names? Enver Pasha- Ottoman Minister of War Talaat Bey Pasha- Minister of the Interior Djemal Pasha- Military leader These three men effectively ruled the Ottoman Empire through the duration of World War I

Stage Three of the Armenian Genocide was the passage of emergency legislation calling for the deportation of the remaining Armenians. Like the Nazi word “evacuation”, what did deportation come to stand for? Why? The Armenian people were supposedly being deported from “war zones to relocation centers”. Not only were they deported from war zones, but from the length and breadth of the empire “Deportations” became death marches to nowhere From May 1915 until the spring of 1916, nearly all Armenians of the Ottoman Empire disappeared from the Armenian plateau

Sound Familiar? Deportation notices were posted in public places and announced by town criers. Armenians were told that it was a wartime measure, and were told to only take a minimum amount of baggage. The government assured them that all belongings and livestock would be safeguarded until their return. Armenians were organized into convoys and forced to walk south into the Syrian desert. Many were also put onto cattle cars and transported by rail. Once they reached the outskirts of a town or village, all males over the age of 15 were separated from the convoy and shot or slaughtered. The women, children and elderly would die a much slower death. On death marches to nowhere, they died of exposure, malnutrition, thirst and epidemics. Many were also attacked and killed by “Special Organization” units.

The Numbers… Estimates of those who were killed range from 600,000 to 2 million A United Nations Human Rights Subcommission report in 1985 gives the figure of “at least one million.” The exact number may never be known. But more important than the number is the fact that more than half the Armenian population perished and the rest were forcibly driven from their ancestral homeland. Another important point is that what befell the Armenians was by the will of the government. It was planned and systematic, with an intent to destroy in whole or in part an entire group; all the hallmarks of a genocide.

Part III- The Aftermath The actions of the Ottoman government did not go unnoticed by the international community, even under the fog of World War I. In fact, the policy of genocide was carried out in the presence of military and diplomatic representatives of various governments. Henry Morgenthau, the American ambassador in the Ottoman Empire, sent numerous dispatches to Washington regarding the situation of the Armenians. Despite this, the Ottoman government consistently and persistently denied all charges of intentional mass murder.

Making it known… The Armenian Genocide made the headlines of such papers as the New York Times and the Christian Science Monitor. In daily articles, American and German missionaries, educators, journalists, and travelers told of the horrors of the death marches and the atrocities.

Humanitarian Assistance to the Survivors In 1915, the American Committee for Armenian and Syrian Relief was founded with special contributions from the Rockefeller Foundation In 1916, the ACASR was reorganized as Near East Relief (NER) as a Congressional charter. In 1918 and 1919, the amount raised was $7 million and $19 million respectively. These agencies provided the refugees with first aid, food, and clothing. They also developed a child care program preparing children for self- support. Schools were set up and job training was given. Hundreds of thousands of Armenian lives were saved as a result of these efforts.

Were the perpetrators of the Armenian Genocide ever convicted of their crimes? If so, what happened to them? Germany and the Ottoman Empire were defeated in World War I. After the defeat of Ottoman forces in 1918, the Young Turk leaders fled the country. The new Ottoman government organized the trial of these leaders in military courts. The trials lasted from April to July 1919. Four years after planning and executing the Armenian Genocide, the perpetrators were sentenced to death in absentia. However, no attempt was made to carry out the sentence.

The Fate of the Pashas… Talaat Pasha and Djemal Pasha were assassinated soon after World War I while they were in exile in Europe. Enver Pasha was killed in fighting against the Soviet Red Army.

What international organization created the Republic of Armenia following World War I? The League of Nations pledged their support for Armenians at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919. Despite their commitment, the European powers and the United States were not able or willing to restore the Armenian plateau to the Armenian plateau

Did the Republic of Armenia last very long? What happened to it? No, soon after its independence it was swallowed up by the Soviet Union at the end of 1920, and a Soviet Republic of Armenia was established.

Identify five places the Armenians were dispersed to after the genocide took place: Turkey Soviet Union United States Europe Middle East

Armenia Today The modern Republic of Armenia became independent in 1991 during the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The Republic of Armenia constitutes only one-tenth of historical Armenia.

Identify two ways the Armenian people have responded to their genocide. Repression and… Expression- through art, literature, and music Others submit to what has happened and feel powerless. Arleen McCallum’s work, entitled Hepimiz Ermeniyiz (We are all Armenian),

Dreams of Armenia (Arleen McCallum)

What is the official position of the Turkish Government concerning what transpired in 1915-1916? Give one reason why they might be holding to this position. Active Denial; and they actively suppress the truth. Why? They don’t want to be equated with Nazi Germany; and there could also be economic repercussions of reparations/compensation that would have to be paid to victims’ families

Identify two reasons why the Armenian Genocide is often called The Forgotten Genocide. It is often overshadowed by the Holocaust It is often lost in the fog and slaughter of World War I