Armenian Genocide (1915-1918) Over 1.5 Million Dead

Historic Armenia

Background Ottoman Empire incorporates Armenians in the 15th century Armenians are Christians and are unequal to Muslims. Life is difficult. Sultan Hamid II (“Bloody Sultan”) 1876 Hamidyan Massacres: The Hamidye killed over 200,000 Armenians Battle of Sarikamis in December 1914 (WWI), the Ottomans attacked Russians and lost. This was blamed on the Armenians.

April 19, 1915 demanded that the city of Van furnish 4,000 soldiers. However, it was obvious they would be massacred. Armenians offered 500 and paid exemption money to buy time, but were accused of rebellion and conflict began. The village was saved by a Russian breakthrough spearheaded by the Armenian volunteers in the Caucasus. The pretext used to make deportation general was supplied by the resistance at Van.

Massacres February 15, 1915 Armenians were disarmed and built roads. Easily rounded up and executed. April 24, 1915 250-650 Armenian intellectuals and community leaders are deported and murdered. Emergency acts were passed allowing government to arrest and deport Armenians.

Majority were taken from homes and marched out of the country into Syrian town of Deir ez-Zor (Dare-Zor)and surrounding desert. Allowed others to rob, kill, and rape. Deprived of their belongings. Convoys were made of old people, women, and children. In remote villages, families were slaughtered. Along the coast boats were heaped with victims and sunk. Majority of camps were near modern Iraq and Syria. Some were only temporary transit camps. Others were used as mass graves.

Armenian people, watched by Ottoman soldiers, being moved to prison (April 1915)

Armenians ordered by the authorities to gather in the main square of the city to be deported. The crowd was eventually massacred.

Map of massacre locations and deportation and extermination centres

Transport of Armenians to concentration camps, 1915

Some deported by Berlin to Baghdad railway. Boxcars stuffed with 80-100 people. OE made Armenians purchase tickets b/c they’d be ‘returning.’ Deportation was a disguised form of extermination. Strongest eliminated before departure. Rest died from journey: Not taken over short routes. Rather over mountains or sometimes in circles. No rest. Not allowed to drink when thirsty.

Armenian monastery with several heads and corpses in front of it

Orphaned children, 1915

Families given a few days to collect their belongings, property was sold off or given to local population, men were rounded up and killed, convoys of elderly women and children were sent on the road and subject to robbery, looting, and murder.

Witnesses There were hundreds of eye-witnesses. Germany and Austria-Hungary recorded acts of state-sponsored massacres, but didn’t want to interfere with Turkey’s affairs. German engineers witnessed Armenians being crammed into the cars and shipped along the railroad line.

Aftermath Democratic Republic of Armenia created in 1918. Turkey will still not call what happened a genocide.

New York Times, October 22, 1915

I have issued the command — and I’ll have anybody who utters but one word of criticism executed by a firing squad — that our war aim does not consist in reaching certain lines, but in the physical destruction of the enemy. 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 today of the annihilation of the Armenians? -Adolf Hitler

Classification Turks vs Armenians Muslims vs Christians Illiterate, peasant framers vs Educated professionals

Symbolization Branded as infidels (non-believers in Islam) Portrayed as an enemy of the state

Discrimination The Armenians had special taxes levied against them and they weren't allowed to vote; they also wanted a constitutional government that would grant all people the rights that they deserved.

Dehumanization Turks came to look upon Armenians as “strangers” among them Armenian soldiers were used as “pack-mules” Attractive Armenian girls forced to be sex slaves Marched nude through the desert

Organization Turkish nationalists (Young Turks) Triumvirate of Young Turks (dictators) ordered the deaths “Turanism” (Islamic Fundamentalism) – wanted to expand Turkey eastward Released violent criminals to form government units of special police (Special Organization)

Polarization Glorified the virtues of Turkish peasantry at the expense of Armenians The Young Turks exploited the religious, cultural, economic and political differences Turks were told that Armenians may be sympathetic to the enemy Russians (WWI) who were also Christians Held demonstrations that were anti-Armenian

Preparation Disarmed the entire Armenian population Armenians in the Turkish army were placed in slave labour battalions Rounded up Armenian political leaders and educators, clergy and dignitaries All men were arrested Relocated women, children and elderly to Syrian Desert

Persecution There were anti-Armenian demonstrations held. When WW1 began the Young Turks thought it would be the perfect time to solve the Armenian Question. They began to prepare to take out the Armenians.

Extermination Men were imprisoned, tortured and then killed Women and young girls were raped Children (the lucky few) were forced to renounce their heritage and were absorbed into Turkish families Death marches into the desert where they were starved, died of thirst or exhaustion, burned or buried alive Turks demolished anything of Armenian heritage; destroyed cities, architecture, libraries and archives to remove all traces of Armenian civilization

Denial Performed under the cover of World War I Coded telegrams to order extermination Refuse to recognize it as a genocide, rather an outcome of civil war Orders to bury all the bodies so they wouldn’t be littering the country sides The Young Turks fled into exile to avoid answering charges of genocide Threatened missionary workers to keep quiet about what they saw Even today the Turkish government refuses to recognize it as a genocide (laws against genocide talk in Turkey)