The Armenian Genocide

“Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians “Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?”- Adolf Hitler (in justifying his plan to eliminate the Jews of Europe)

Armenian Provinces of the Ottoman Empire

Background of Armenia Armenia was a part of the Ottoman Empire. While the empire was Muslim, Armenians remained Christians. They were tolerated, but did not experience full equality under Islamic law. In 1867, Sultan Abdul Hamid II, came to power and attempted to stop the many revolutions within his empire. He did this mainly by encouraging Muslim groups to settle in Armenian lands.

Sultan Abdul Hamid II, also known as the “Red Sultan” for his role in the genocide.

Armenian Background Cont… This caused wide spread conflict and in 1894, Hamid 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 attacks and/or starvation.

The Young Turks In 1908, a group of young so-called intellectuals over threw the sultan known as the Young Turks. They sought to make the Ottoman Empire exclusively Turkish and Muslim. In 1910, the Armenians were labeled enemies of Muslim Turkey

Enver Bey (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. On April 24, 1915-Turkish authorities arrested and executed Armenian leaders in Constantinople. This date would be forever remembered as the beginning of the Armenian genocide.

April 24, 1915 Executions

The Genocide Continues… In June 1915, the Armenian population was deported to the deserts of present-day Syria and Iraq. Prior to deportation, all able-bodied males were shot. Less than 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.

Henry Morganthau U.S. Ambassador to Turkey who warned the U.S. of the genocidal actions of the Turkish government.

Morganthau Telegram

U.S. Newspapers Reporting on the Genocide.

The Death Marches of Armenians

In her memoir, Ravished Armenia, Aurora Mardiganian described being raped and thrown into a harem (which agrees with Islam’s rules of war). Unlike thousands of other Armenian girls who were discarded after being defiled, she managed to escape. In the city of Malatia, she saw 16 girls crucified: “Each girl had been nailed alive upon her cross, spikes through her feet and hands, only their hair blown by the wind, covered their bodies.”

The Deaths of Armenian Children

Teasing Starving Armenian Children with Bread

Turkish and German officers photographed with Armenian victims                                                              Turkish and German officers photographed with Armenian victims

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. 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).

Armenia (as the map was drawn by Woodrow Wilson) The Turks refused to acknowledge the territory of Western Armenia and invaded it in 1920.

The Armenians were denied their lands and since that time, the Turks have systematically led a campaign to erase every trace of Armenians from present-day eastern Turkey.

The Destruction of Armenian Churches in Eastern Turkey

Genocide https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlrlwFmG7-w&t=3s Districts & Vilayets of Western Armenia in Turkey 1914 1922 Erzerum 215,000 1,500 Van 197,000 500 Kharbert 204,000 35,000 Diarbekir 124,000 3,000 Bitlis 220,000 56,000 Sivas 225,000 16,800   Other Armenian-populated Sites in Turkey Western Anatolia 371,800 27,000 Cilicia and Northern Syria 309,000 70,000 European Turkey 194,000 163,000 Trapizond District 73,390 15,000 Total 2,133,190 387,800

Final Analysis Over 1.5 million Armenians died during the genocide. Today, the country of Turkey still formally denies that any premeditated genocide took place.

The Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan, Armenia

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.“- Edmund Burke