Good Morning! NVC The Armenian Genocide Essential Question: How did the Armenian Genocide happen? Homework: WWI Project due Block Day! OMG OMG OMG!!!!!1!!

Genocide Genocide: the intentional annihilation of an entire racial, ethnic, or national group “Genocide is an attempt to exterminate a people, not to conquer them.”– Jack Schwartz 

The Context Ottoman Empire Armenians A Muslim empire controlled eastern Mediterranean since 1300AD Armenians A Christian minority Served as soldiers in the Eastern Roman Army

“Turkish rule meant unspeakable hatred “Turkish rule meant unspeakable hatred. The Armenians and Greeks were dogs and pigs to be spit upon, to be mats on which the Turk wiped the mud from his feet.” –Raphael Lemkin

On the Eve of WWI… “Young Turks” A Super-Nationalist youth movement Ottoman Empire had been in decline Rejuvenate the empire through Pan-Turkism Turks are a superior race Non-Turkish peoples make the Ottoman Empire weak

The Armenian Genocide

The Armenian Genocide

The Armenian Genocide

How did this happen? “There was no law under which they [Ottoman leaders] could be arrested. Consider the case of a farmer who owns a flock of chickens. He kills them, and this is his business. If you interfere, you are trespassing. You cannot interfere with the internal affairs of a nation without infringing on that nation’s sovereignty.”-- Soghomon Tehlirian

Why should we care? “...First they came for the Communists, but I was not a Communist, so I said nothing. Then they came for Social Democrats, but I was not a Social Democrat. So I did nothing. Then they came for the trade unionists, but I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, but I was not a Jew… so I did little. Then they came for me. And there was no one left who could stand for me.”—Pastor Niemoller

I have issued the command 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 formations in readiness with orders to send to death mercilessly and without compassion, men, women, and children of Jewish 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