Armenian Genocide

What It Was

Mass genocide by the government of the Ottoman Empire targeting the Armenian people Genocide: organized killing of any religious, ethnic,

or political group of people with the aim of complete or partial extermination/destruction

General acts: expropriation (all of Armenian wealth), abduction and torture (largely women and children), starvation and dehydration (forced to march to Syria through the desert), deportation, massacre

Dates

Conventional starting date: April 14th, 1915Lasted from 1914—1918, largely during

World War IPeriod of calm after the war, then

continuation of horrible acts during 1920—1923

1915—international community condemns the Armenian Genocide as a crime against humanity (33 years before UN Genocide Convention created)

Responsible Parties

Committee of Union and Progress (CUP)—leading political party of the Ottoman Empire, also known as the Young Turks Three controlling figures:

Mehmet Talaat—Minister of the Interior (1915), Prime Minister (1917)

Ismail Enver—Minister of War Ahmed Jemal—Minister of the Marine and Military

Governor of Syria Special Organization (convicts and irregular troops,

responsible for carrying out massacres) Behaeddin Shakir—leader

Responsible Parties (continued)

Ideologists Zia Gokalp—promotion of Pan-Turanism (creation of

new empire from Anatolia to into Central Asia with a Turkic-only population)

A look at the atrocities committed by the Special Organization

Human Costs

1 ½ million perished2 million lived in the Ottoman Empire before

WWI1+ million deported in 1915Hundreds of thousands butchered outrightOthers died of starvation, exhaustion, and

diseases that ravaged concentration camps Torture and death was rampant

Genocide Survivors

Witnesses

Photograph restrictions existed but there were still tons of tourists Mostly diplomatic representatives and missionaries

from the US; they were the first to get the word to the outside community

Germans (on important military assignments in the Ottoman Empire since they were allies with them in the World War)

Russians (Russian Army occupied Anatolia)Syrians (deportees were sent there in terrible

condition)

International Reaction

It was highly condemned, but no strong action was taken

Strong public outcry in US; Allies demanded reprimand for the CUP leaders after their victory in the war

Political cartoon criticizing the lack of action

Movie depicting the genocide