Thursday, June 19, 2008

Armenian Genocide: What caused it? When it happened? How it could have been prevented?

Armenian Genocide

by , Feb 7, 2008

The Armenian Genocide is said to be the first genocide of the twentieth century. Many people refer to it as the Armenian Holocaust. This slaughtering of Armenians was just like the Holocaust that targeted Jews. The Armenian Genocide was masterminded by the Central Committee of the Young Turk Party. They killed the Armenians using several methods. First, those who were in the army were disarmed, placed in labor battalions, and then killed. Second, the Armenian political and intellectual leaders were rounded up on April 24, 1915, and then killed. This date is Armenians all over the world commemorate this great tragedy. And finally, the remaining Armenians were called from their home, thinking that they were going to be relocated, and marched to concentration camps in the middle of the dessert, where they would die from lack of food and water. In the end, western scholars predict that over 500,000 Armenians were killed in this massacre between the years 1914-1918.
Many people wonder don't know what caused the Armenian Genocide. They could Google it and find the answer to that question, but they don't know it off the top of their heads. The Armenian Genocide was caused by a battle, else called World War 1. The Ottoman Empire at that time was allied with the Central Powers. The Minister of War, Enver Pasha, planned to encircle and destroy the Russian Caucasus Army at Sarıkamış to regain territories lost to Russia after the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878. They went to Sarıkamış, Enver Pasha's troops were almost completely destroyed. When he returned to Istanbul, he blamed the Armenians living in that area helping the Russians.
Different people react differently on issues such as the Armenian Genocide. For example, the Turkey government has always denied what happened, while everyone else in the world says that this historical event occurred. So, who's right? There is a lot of evidence that supports the fact that the Armenian Genocide had taken place. Survivors, historical documents, and remains of bodies prove this event had occurred in history. On the other hand, the world only has the word of the Turkish government that the Armenian Genocide did not happen.
In my opinion, there are a lot of events in history could have prevented the Armenian Genocide from taking place. First of all, if the government and the people got along with each other, this “genocide” would have never taken place. Another reason why this event took place was because the Ottoman Empire was a monarchy, meaning a single person or organization is ruling the people. Having a single person ruling an empire would lead to corruption and abuse of its people. Finally, World War I was a key factor of the Armenian Genocide. If the Ottoman Empire did not get involved in WWI, they would have never battled Russia in the Battle of Sarıkamış. Because of this event, the Armenians were blamed on helping the Russians and later be killed. So each year, on April 24, Armenians around the world commemorate the loss of their people.

http://www.socyberty.com/History/Armenian-Genocide.80907

7 comments:

Allison Acosta said...

Just want to say that you spell desert, "dessert"...

Vrej said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Turkey should give a compensation for the crimes of there ancestors they should at least return the ancestral land of the Armenian people. heir actions were inhuman and wrong in so many ways, Turkey should also return the stolen land of Constantinople(Istanbul) to the Byzantine(Romans). We should NOT let this events be forgotten in history.

Anonymous said...

Turkey should give a compensation for the crimes of there ancestors they should at least return the ancestral land of the Armenian people. heir actions were inhuman and wrong in so many ways, Turkey should also return the stolen land of Constantinople(Istanbul) to the Byzantine(Romans). We should NOT let this events be forgotten in history.

Ben_D said...

I first really began to learn about the Armenian Genocide when I was in Washington DC and met Americans of Armenian descent protesting for the rights under Soviet law for their countrymen in then Soviet Union. I agree that by knowing the past and not forgetting is the first step to ensuring it will not happen again. Otherwise we endless and futiley repeat Never Again only to see it happen again in a different location and new name, ethnic cleansing anyone?

God Bless and protect the Armenian people everywhere who in America are among the nation's devoted patriots!

Unknown said...

God bless everyone first of all...

This story still doesn't answer the question which was asked in the subject line. What led to killings? There is always a reason, and what would be a reason for non-muslim people living in a muslim state for hundreds of years? The answer is they wanted to separate, and paid the price. Answer could be found here: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090418155935AAx8qWu

Then armenians were migrated with help of Russia to where armenia is today, and in early 90's started a separatist movement once again on the territory of Azerbaijan in Garabakh, again with the help of russian army occupying this territory as well as surrounding areas. Occupation goes side by side with killing of native people who lived there for centuries. Hojaly massacre occurred where innocent people including elderly, kids and women were killed.

Now the question is this... How could be such an "innocent" nation repeat the history 75 years later, kill people of a neighboring country and occupy their territory ask for anyone to acknowledge what they call a "genocide", when in fact it was Turkey defending its own territory? Actions of this nation speak for themselves

Unknown said...

A drastic change was witnessed in Turco-Armenian relations with the decline of the Ottoman Empire towards the end of the 19th century. As a result of activities carried out by instigators infiltrating the Ottoman territories from the West, mostly under a clerical guise, Armenians began to pull themselves away from the Turkish community in the religious, cultural, commercial, political and social fields. Armenians who used Turkish as their language, who conducted their religious sermons in Turkish and even those who had attained high positions within the Empire, such as cabinet ministers, undersecretaries and the like, collaborated with the enemy forces in a bid to attain the downfall of the Ottoman State.

It is during this period that the Armenians began to present themselves as an 'oppressed community' and claimed that their sovereignty rights over Anatolia had been seized by the Turks, this with the aim of securing the backing of the West. States aspiring to attain their goals by exploiting the Armenians, did in fact encourage such propaganda and helped to create public opinion in a drive to have a say in the sanctions to be imposed on Turkey, and to be able to intervene when necessary. Thus, all initiatives with the pretext of supporting the Armenians and safeguarding their rights found serious backing within their own public opinion.

Once they lost their privileged status, with the Reformation Bill granting equal status to muslims and non-muslims alike, the Armenians asked Russia not to withdraw from Eastern Anatolia, which she had invaded during the 1877-1878 Ottoman-Russian war; that autonomy be granted to these territories, or that reformation be conducted in line with their interests. These stipulations found the partial backing of Russia, and henceforward the Armenian issue began to assume an international dimension with the Yesilkoy Agreement, formerly known as the Hagia Stephanos Agreement, signed at the end of the Ottoman-Russian war and the subsequent Berlin Agreement. Thus, foreign powers aspiring o divide the country, started intervening in Turco-Armenian relations.

Once, efforts to organize Ottoman Armenians to take action against the State, by means of committees set up in Anatolia as a result of activities carried out by missionaries proved futile, it was then decided that Russian Armenians set up such committees in regions outside the boundaries of the Ottoman State. Thus, the moderately militant Hinchak, with socialist tendencies, was set up in Geneva in 1887, followed by the extremist and pro-independence Tashnak Committee set up in Tbilisi in 1890, favouring terror, rebellions and struggle to achieve its goals. These committees had been targeted at ' liberating Anatolian territory and the Ottoman Armenians'. Attempts to launch a revolt, instigated by the Istanbul-based Hinchaks and aimed at provoking the Ottoman Armenians by drawing the attention of European nations to the Armenian issue, were followed by acts carried out by Tashnaks who had launched a political struggle. These attempts, masterminded by committees outside the Ottoman lands were supported by missionaries positioned in Anatolia.
Source(s):
http://www.ermenisorunu.gen.tr/english/a…