Recognizing the Armenian Genocide

What's All The Fuss About This Armenian Genocide?

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The Armenian Genocide, characterized by mass deportations, starvation, and all-out massacre, is estimated to have killed 1-1.5 million Armenians within the Ottoman Empire between 1915 and 1918.

Though it is widely acknowledged as the first modern genocide, Turkey refuses to classify it as one for various political reasons.

What follows is an overview of the events, and and an attempt to understand them within a greater historical context.

**(Click on the right sidebar links to navigate the site).

The Genocide

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Overview of History of Armenian People & Ottoman Empire

In 1909, a new system of government was put in place by the Young Turk Revolution. The Sultan's power, once the highest point of authority was now reduced to a strictly symbolic position. The Young Turks, part of the Committee of Union and Progress, instated new and supposedly progressive reforms in hopes of bringing about reform to the Ottoman State. One of their policies however, was strongly related to ethnic purity and the need to cleanse the Empire of the Armenian subjects, who were seen as traitors.

Traditionally, Christian and Jews before then were mostly equal to Muslims, and living conditions were tolerable for all minorities. The Ottoman Empire however incorporated a great variety of different cultures, ethnicities and religions all of which be the late 19th century, were beginning to push for disintegration and independence. This led to a tighter need for control and further discrimination between the different factions within the empire.

The new government, led by a triumvirate made up of Enver Pasha, Talaat Pasha and Ahmed Djemel Pasha, began to adopt a policy driven by poverty, a crumbling economy, numerous military failures and religious fanaticism. When the CUP (Committee for Union and Progress1) took over discrimination became a national policy and the genocide began. One major pretext used to attack the Armenian population in Anatolia was the supposed alliance of the Armenians with the Russians, who were then at war with the Empire. Later, the mass deportations that exterminated an immense amount of Armenians was explained as an attempt to protect the Empire’s subjects from the war environment.

The genocide took various forms: The Armenian people were subjected to massive deportation, expropriation, abduction, torture, disease, massacre, and starvation.2 The genocide itself truly began with the arrest and killing of approximately 250 Armenian intellectuals and community leaders. They began with men and boys, whose weapons were firstly confiscated, leaving the community defenseless. They were later rounded up and killed in large groups, buried in graves they were forced to dig for themselves. The rest of the population, the elderly, the women and the children were rounded up and deported on foot to the Syrian dessert. Along the way, they would be deprived from food, water, and forced to march under the intense heat of the dessert, sometimes naked so the sun would strike them. Most Armenians did not make it to the end of the marches. Those who did survive were often shot, drowned, thrown off cliffs, poisoned or worse.3 The desert became a field of decomposing corps and bones. At the end of the marches, there were believed to be about 25 major concentration camps awaiting. Often worked to death, these camps were usually only temporary transit camps for the walkers.4

Some cities were conscripted first so all those who could defend the city were gone when the massacres took place. Armenian troops were seen a little better then cannon fodder and slaves and thus often defected or deserted. Some cities refused the conscription but they were still destroyed. The Armenian genocide became an inspiration to all those that came after. Every technique used by the Nazis were first used against the Armenians, with the exception of the gas chambers. The death toll is evaluated around 1 to 1.5 million deaths. But the genocide proved futile, the CUP failed to keep foreign powers from conquering Turkey and it was considering surrender when Atatürk rebelled.

Who and Why?

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The Armenian people are searching for recognition of the “genocide” which occurred between 1915 and 1923. Many people would argue that it is the population living today in the impoverished Armenia are most haunted by the past. Yet recognition haunts every Armenian around the globe. It even affects other genocide victims and survivors. Seeing in an article by Reader's Digest, a young Canadian born Armenian woman felt hatred towards Turks for this event, yet had never experienced it. This is a common sentiment from Armenian people today. 1

Led especially by American-Armenians, Armenians around the world are pushing for recognition that there was indeed a genocide by the true definition. The true definition of a genocide implies that there are two qualifications included for a genocide to have taken place. For the crime of genocide to have taken place there must the intent to destry in whole or in part a national, ethnic, racial or religious group, as well as the physical element which includes the five punishable acts of the crime of genocide: genocide; conspiracy, incitement, attempt and complicity. While the Turkish people agree that there were deaths, they do not feel that it should be titled a genocide, and fight heavily against the label.

“What the Turkish elite is definitely not reconsidering is revising its historiography and attempting to build some bridges with the Armenian Diaspora.” 2

The Armenian people are fighting for recognition of their terrible past. Determined to label this event a genocide, they are seeking recognition from the Turkish government, governments around the world, and a chance to recognize and put their past behind them.

To this day, Armenians believe that it was the killings of their own people during this time that led the way to events like the Holocaust. In their eyes recognition is crucial for the future. It is essential for them to remember and get this catastrophe in the history books. It is essential for the Armenian people, as well as the rest of the world, to remember. "We can't let our children forget what happened. The world does not pay attention to Armenia as it is, so we should do our best to keep reminding them,"3 said Borseb Gevorkian, an Armenian from Lebanon.

The Armenian voice is becoming much more persistent on this topic throughout the last few decades. Due to a new generation of Armenians growing up and receiving education in American and other developed countries, and a natural urge to know about the nation's history, and what had happened to their forebears. As these voices become louder, and with participation in activities like the 90th anniversary march for remembrance, there is an much more of a fundamental radicalization of the Armenian youth. Having seen other minority groups seek recognition through the use of force, and being disappointed with their own Armenian political parties failures to effectively achieve claims on their past on an international level, they saw a possibility of using the same methods. This led to the phenomenon of Armenian terrorism. While their terrorism is directed much more at the remembrance of the genocide, and not necessarily political parties and negotiations. They are directing their forces at remembering the loss of their people and bringing this issue to political acknowledgement. 4

Ninety years later, Armenia has no diplomatic relations with Turkey. The borders between the two countries are still sealed, hampering much-needed development of Armenia's struggling, post-Soviet economy. Current Armenian President Robert Kocharian says the country does not want financial compensation from Turkey. What Armenians want is for Turkey, and the world, to recognise what happened as a true genocide.5 An increasing number of governments are already doing so, while Turkey and many other countries are not.

So why does Turkey have a hard time acknowledging the Genocide and give the Armenians what they are asking? “They believe you can’t slander the Turkish nation by putting it on the same level as the Nazis,” explains Taner Akçam, visiting professor of history at the University of Minnesota. “There’s also a fear of consequences—that Turkey will have to pay compensation in land and money. But I think their primary fear is psychological. Armenians are a constant reminder of Turkey’s most traumatic historical event—the collapse of their empire. The Turks think of themselves as the phoenix rising from the ashes of the Armenians. Some of the founders of the Turkish state were members of the party who organized the Genocide. And the Turks have glorified them as heroes. If you call them murderers or thieves, you question the very existence of the state and identity.”6

Yet on numerous occasions, Armenians have insisted, they are not interested in material recompensation, yet are solely looking for historical recognition. It must not be that difficult?

Turkey does agree with the Armenians that there were deaths of Armenian people. Yet they see the numbers as highly inflated. While it is stated that 1-1.5 million Armenian people perished, the Turks say the number falls between 250,000 to 300,000. They insist that any deaths were a side-effect of the World War 1 casualties. They say that the killings were not deliberate or were not governmentally orchestrated. The killings were justified because Armenians posed a Russian-sympathizing threat to the Turks as a cultural group, that Armenians merely starved, or any of various characterizations recalling marauding Armenian gangs. They do not accept the killings as their own doings, but that of war related causes. A Turkish anonymous source states: "the measures adopted regarding the Armenians in Eastern Anatolia was merely a replacement in another region within the Empire for security reasons". They refuse to take responsibility for the deaths, for they feel they lost as many Turks to the war and fight against Armenians. They also use the argument that the Armenians can not be held responsible for the wrong doings at the time, for it was the Ottoman Empire who was at rule and technically not the Turks. It was in the final years of the Ottoman rule that these events took place, and they feel not responsible for the actions of their grandfathers, whom they feel did nothing wrong.

In many cases, when a Turk tries to recognize the genocide or the events that happen, they are often executed or imprisoned as a traitor. “The emergence in the last few years of a number of liberal-minded Turkish voices (Taner Akcam, Halil Berktay, Ragip and Aysenur Zarakolu, etc.) calling for Turkish recognition had raised within Armenian circles the hope that the situation had begun to change in Turkey.”7 As decades pass the “Turkish society wants to know what really happened in 1915. And for the first time in history, it’s breaking its silence to challenge the official state rhetoric.”8 This may be due to the books circulating in Turkey about the Genocide. The man responsible for publishing many of them: Ragip Zarakolu. “Individuals who recognized the Armenian Genocide have been exposed to violent reactions and been subject to prosecution.”9 Zarakolu now stands on trial for publishing two books on the massacres. “I learned about the Genocide through my mother,” recalls Zarakolu. “In 1915 Turkish soldiers collected her Armenian neighbours. While the Armenians were crying in the streets, my mother and her family were crying inside their homes. Her grandmother saved two Armenian girls from deportation, but soldiers later picked them up again. This made a big impression on me.”10

The more time goes on, the Turkish political and intellectual elite is clearly irritated by the resurfacing of this problem and wants to get rid of Armenian Genocide claims without being obliged to reconsider crucial moments in their perception of their own history.

For the “16th year in a row, Armenia proposes to establish formal relations and to open the Armenian-Turkish border, the last surviving segment of the Iron Curtain”. 11

Nobody denies that thousands of Turks died during that war. But during the Second World War more than 10 million Germans died, too. Does that justify the Holocaust? Adolf Hitler even spoke 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 (Lebensraum) which we need. Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?”12

International Recognition

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In 1985, a sub-commission of the United Nations Economic and Social Council on the Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities reiterated that reliable estimates by independent authorities and by eyewitnesses clearly indicate that "...at least 1 million, and possibly well over half of the Armenian population, were exterminated."1

On November 15, 2000, the European Parliament, which includes representatives of 15 European countries, also recognized the existence of the massacres by adopting a resolution calling on Turkey to publicly recognize the Armenian genocide as a step toward its eventual European Union membership.2

On 4 September 2006, Members of the European Parliament voted for the inclusion of a clause prompting Turkey "to recognise the Armenian genocide as a condition for its EU accession"3 in a highly critical report, which was adopted by a broad majority in the foreign relations committee of the European Parliament. This requirement was later dropped on 27 September 2006 by the general assembly of the Parliament.4

The majority of countries around the world have aligned themselves with the Turkish Republic, still refusing to recognize the Armenian Genocide. The long list includes The US federal government, Mexico, Australia, Brazil, China, all of the African continent and surprisingly, Israel. There is a serious lack in the recognition, regardless of the substantial amount of proof. 5

Countries who recognize Armenian Genocide:6

Uruguay (A Parliamentary Resolution was adopted in 1965, followed by a Law adopted in 2004)

Cyprus (A Parliamentary Resolution was adopted in 1982)

European Union (Parliamentary Resolutions adopted in 1987, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005)

Argentina (A Senate Resolution was adopted in 1993, in 2005 and in 2006, followed by laws adopted in 2004 and in 2007)

Russia (A State Duma Resolution was adopted in 1995)

Canada (Resolutions were adopted in 1996, 2002 and 2004)

Greece (A Parliamentary Resolution was adopted in 1996)

Lebanon (Resolutions were adopted in 1997 and 2000)

Belgium (A Senate Resolution was adopted in 1998)

France (Parliamentary Resolutions were adopted in 1998 and 2000, followed by a Law adopted in 2001)

Sweden (A Parliamentary report of 2000)

Vatican (In 2000)

Italy (A Resolution adopted in 2000)

Switzerland (A Resolution adopted in 2003)

Slovakia (A Resolution adopted in 2004)

The Netherlands (A Resolution adopted in 2004)

Poland (A Resolution adopted in 2004)

Venezuela (A Resolution adopted in 2005)

Germany (A Resolution adopted in 2005)

Lithuania (A Resolution adopted in 2005)

Chile (A Resolution adopted in 2007)

**NB: The U.S.A has not officially recognized the genocide as a whole country, yet 38 states and many cities have independently recognized and call it by definition a genocide.

Map of Armenian population today:7

Ambassador Morgenthau

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Among the most adamant believers in the occurrence of genocide in 1915 is Ambassador Henry Morgenthau, American ambassador to the Ottoman Empire from 1913 to 1916 and witness to the massacre and deportation of the rebelling Armenian population in and around the city of Van. In 1918, he wrote a book titled Ambassador Morgenthau’s Story in which he described not only the German influence on the Ottoman Empire prior and during World War One but also the murder of a great number of Armenian subjects. The book contains graphic details in addition to numerous photographs showing what in Morgenthau’s eyes constituted “the murder of a nation”. From 1915 to 1916, the ambassador and his wife witnessed countless crimes and creative methods of torture inflicted on the Armenian population. Morgenthau’s choice of vocabulary and tone depicts his very apprehensive attitude towards the Ottomans and a clear plea for assistance from the American public, for the survivors of the massacres.

Despite the fact that Morgenthau’s eye-witness account is considered by many as a reliable source of information, there have been continuous streams of protests and criticisms of his work, due to the subjective and highly emotional language used and presence the Armenian assistant who helped him write the book. The following is an excerpt from chapter 24 of Ambassador Morgenthau’s Story1:

“Let me relate a single episode which is contained in one of the reports of our consuls and which now forms part of the records of the American State Department. Early in July, 2,000 Armenian "amélés"---such is the Turkish word for soldiers who have been reduced to workmen---were sent from Harpoot to build roads. The Armenians in that town understood what this meant and pleaded with the Governor for mercy. But this official insisted that the men were not to be harmed, [...]. Yet practically every man of these 2,000 was massacred, and his body thrown into a cave. A few escaped, and it was from these that news of the massacre reached the world. A few days afterward another 2,000 soldiers were sent to Diarbekir. The only purpose of sending these men out in the open country was that they might be massacred. In order that they might have no strength to resist or to escape by flight, these poor creatures were systematically starved.”

One of the many sources that provide ample criticism of Morgenthau’s experience as ambassador to the Ottoman Empire is a website named “Tall Armenian Tale: The Other Side of the Falsified Genocide”. It discusses several quotes written by Morgenthau that depict him in a less favourable light than his book may let on. Another noteworthy website titled “Armenian Genocide Debate” that also seems to discredit the book saying, “Sadly, however, reputed historians have shown that what is known as Ambassador Morgenthau's Story is nothing short of a fantastic novel.”2

The wealth of literature written on the subject of the Armenian massacres of 1915, one must carefully examine all sources available in order to derive a well-formulated opinion on the matter. The following are links to several websites and pages that may be useful:

To read more of Ambassador Morgenthau’s Story, here is a link to the entire book online:
http://net.lib.byu.edu/estu/wwi/comment/morgenthau/MorgenTC.htm

To read more on the criticisms of Morgenthau’s work, see the following:

http://www.tallarmeniantale.com/morgenthau.htm

http://www.armeniangenocidedebate.com/ambassador-morgenthau-story)

To view videos and photos of the Armenian massacres:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSn44sDnY5Y&feature=related

http://www.ourararat.com/eng/e_pic.htm

http://www.geocities.com/thegenocides/photos/photos1.htm

Who Does Not Recognize the Armenian Genocide? Why?

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Among the countries that still do not recognize the massacre of the Armenian population as genocide, the present-day state of Turkey, for a variety of reasons, is the most vehement denier. Historically, it is the Ottomans who carried out the crimes against their Armenian subjects, back when the Ottoman Empire still existed in 1915. In order to understand the Turkish perspective, a clear description of the context that framed the massacres is necessary.

The Ottoman Empire, once the largest and most widespread empire that history has ever witnessed, by 1915 had long been dubbed “the sick man of Europe” by the other world powers. The empire had been crumbling for some time now, a process that was aided and accelerated when the Ottomans entered World War 1 on the German side. The Ottomans, desperately clinging to the shrouds of territory that remained under their rule by 1915 launched an aggressive offensive on the rebelling Armenian population, who mainly lived in the Anatolian region. The killings took place mainly between 1915 and 1916, while the war was raging in all parts of the world. Hence the Armenian massacre managed to escape public interest, in a world where global communication and human rights laws were primitive or nonexistent. 1

Is it fair then, to point a finger at the Turkish government, established after the definite extinction of the Ottoman caliphate and CUP government? With the creation of the state of Turkey, should there descend a collection of four hundred years worth of burdens and prior responsibilities? The current Turkish government has maintained the argument that they are an entity separate and totally unrelated to the Ottomans, therefore absolving themselves from any form of accountability. 2

There are numerous reasons why Turkey refuses to recognize the Armenian massacres as Genocide. Firstly, there may be some important territorial concessions that will be demanded by modern-day Armenia, such as the region surrounding Mount Ararat. Under the Treaty of Lausanne, Turkey and the territory it claimed were given full legitimacy and relieved from yielding any material and territorial requests made by the Armenians. So legally speaking, Turkey has absolutely no obligation to entertain the idea of an Armenian Genocide taking place, and clearly has no interest in doing so either. 3

Another crucial reason for the stubborn denial of the Armenian Genocide is the difficulty in rewriting a country’s history, a history that started in 1924, and pointedly ignored the events of 1915. Any form of recognition could threaten the reputation of Kamal Attaturk, founder of the Turkish nation and shake the current government and its ideology. In light of the recent revival of Islamic political thought in Turkey, the current strictly secular government stands to lose legitimacy by accepting the genocide as part of its past. 4

In addition, the majority of countries around the world have aligned themselves with the Turkish Republic, still refusing to recognize the Armenian Genocide. The long list includes The US federal government, Mexico, Australia, Brazil, China, all of the African continent and surprisingly, Israel.

Guide to Genocide!

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The Armenian genocide, and all of its atrocities, kicked off the 20th century with an appalling bang. As World War I unraveled, modern foundations for an increasingly globalized world took form. However, in all of our social, political, cultural, and economical advancements there remains a thorn in our world history: there are those who still refuse to recognize the genocide. The Armenian genocide must be fully realized by all, for, not only does it now fit the United Nations standards for genocide, but by ignoring the event in the first place has allowed other genocides to occur. The Armenian genocide set a precedent—that genocide was permissible in the 20th century. Adolph Hitler’s chilling words are all too telling of this fact: “Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?” (ArmeniaPedia) Though the origins of this quote have been linguistically disputed, it has nevertheless been almost a customary addition to historical writing of the second half of the twentieth century (Melson, 157).

In line with the bizarre history of genocide and the carnivalesque back-springs certain countries and individuals take to avoid full recognition of the event, below is a not-so-fun and easy guide to genocide—and how to get away with it. Sound preposterous? What follows is a presentation of the similarities between the Armenian genocide and other 20th century genocides. Borrowing from Gregory Stanton’s 8 Stages of Genocide (Stanton), the following shows how it was possible for such events to occur.

If we are to avoid such carnage in the future, it is imperative to analyze and fully understand past genocides. Only then can we prepare ourselves to recognize warning signs and organize preventative measures. The Armenian genocide is a stain on our human history. However, it serves as a reminder and it provides a model.

Do-It-Yourself Genocide!

*Step 1: Classify
Divide group into “us” and “them”.

Ottoman Empire: The divide can be traced far back, though the inferior dhimmi status of Armenians and other ethnic minorities did not guarantee harsh persecution (Melson, 159). As a distinct Turkish nationalist sentiment took form, their motivations almost inevitably clashed with territorial ethnic minorities. Armenians, who had improved their education and wealth despite their cultural status, were felt as a threat to Turkish pride. (Melson, 157).

Germany: Whereas the Armenian Genocide was primarily nationalistic in nature, the perpetrators of the Holocaust were motivated by ideologies of a global scope: those of racist and anti-semitic origins (Melson, 157). Increasingly united through the cult of the Fuhrer and racialist anti-semitism, Germany was cast as an "Aryan" nation (Melson, 160)

Cambodia: The Khmer Rouge’s interpretation of Marxist/Leninist/Maoist communist models allowed them to believe that they could create a classless society. The process of determining “us and them” began by dividing all social classes apart from poor peasants (Staub, 368).

*Step 2: Symbolize
Force hate symbols upon unwilling groups to further distinguish “us and them”. (You may also use hate speeches!)

Ottoman Empire: Armenians were frequently cast as an "alien nationality" (Melson, 159).

Germany: In the years leading up to and during the Holocaust, Jews were forced to wear the Star of David to symbolize their difference (Schulman, 67.)

Cambodia: The blue scarf was forced on people from the Eastern Zone in Khmer Rouge Cambodia (Stanton).

*Step 3: Dehumanize
Deny the humanity of the other group. It’s just that easy!

-Ottoman Empire: As "the sick man of Europe" entered World War I, some Armenians initially fought on behalf of the Ottoman Empire. Instances of human shields comprised of ethnic minorities, including Armenians, have been recorded (Bloxham, 157)

-Germany: Anti-Semitic behaviour can be traced in many forms: from jokes and expressions of general distaste for Jews (Hartmann, 636), to being referred to a hereditarily simple-minded and vermin (Merrimam, 1177)

-Cambodia: people were made to work as agricultural slave labourers in a federation of collective farms. While they were fed next to nothing, they were no longer allowed to choose marriage partners, or even clothing (Hinton, 101).

*Step 4: Organize
Genocide is always organized (Stanton). Train and arm accordingly.

-Ottoman Empire: While some sources argue that there was no initial "a priori blueprint for genocide" (Bloxham, 143), they do not dispute the crystallized policy of with genocidal intent that arose by the early summer of 1915.

-Germany: The Nazi party geared itself toward the nation, structuring itself along territorial lines, with district and branch leaders (Noakes, 190). Hitler made it his obligation to stabilize his regime and initiate economic recovery (Noakes, 191)

-Cambodia: Holding power from the 1960s to the 1990s, the Khmer Rouge dynasty organized against foreign influences, upturned the entire society, and even managed to transform the language to fit their social standards and expectations (Hinton, 115).

*Step 5: Polarize
Broadcast polarizing propaganda to further your ‘cause’.

-Ottoman Empire: Because of their geographic location, Armenians were simultaneously accused of collaborating with Russia against Turkey, and of claiming Anatolia ("the heartland of the projected pan-Turkic State") (Melson, 159)

-Germany: Jews became a pariah caste and stigmatized as "killers of the Son of God", hated and feared in most parts of Europe (Melson, 161)

-Cambodia: January 1977: Formal education is stopped by and all children from the age of 8 on were separated from their families. The Khmer Rouge replaces their parents (Hinton, 104).

*Step 6: Prepare
Identify your victims and prepare for genocide.

-Ottoman Empire: By government decree, such as the Tehcir Law of Deportation, the process of the deportation of Armenians begins, and eventually leads to the process of destruction (Dadian, 311).

-Germany: From 1933 to 1939, Jewish people were defined, expropriated, and expelled; As Germany set off war, Jews were concentrated into ghettos, between 1939 and 1941 (Melson, 161).

-Cambodia: The Khmer Rouge shut down factories, schools, and hospitals. Religion, music and radio sets were banned (Hinton, 99).

*Step 7: Extermination
Carry out the genocide.

-Ottoman Empire: The methods of choice were forced deportation, starvation, and massacre (Melson, 158). Victim and death estimates range from 300,00 to 1,500,000 Armenians.

-Germany: Death Camps characterize much of the mass murder. The estimated victim and death toll is 6 million. (Melson, 158).

-Cambodia: Over one and a half million Cambodians suffered disease, overwork, starvation, and outright execution (Hinton, 94).

*Step 8: Deny! Deny! Deny!
Just act like you have no idea what everyone is talking about!

-Ottoman Empire: Turkey and other countries deny that the Armenian Genocide took place.

-Germany: Despite the evidence presented at the Nuremburg war crimes trials, there are still wide spread attempts to deny the Holocaust (Yelland, 551).

-Cambodia: Pol Pot blocked investigations of the crimes, until he was forced into exile (Stanton). There are speculations that a few countries (including Thailand, China, and the U.S.) remain ambiguous regarding their recognition of the genocide, because of the financial assistance they provided Cambodia during the 30 past years (Shivakumar, 952).

Disgusted Yet?

What can we learn from the above?

There are definite similarities in the way different genocide's have taken place. By studying how such atrocities could occur at one time, we can better understand the warning signs in the future. If the Armenian Genocide is recognized as a precedent for future genocide's to take place, then we can more actively pursue preventative measures. Otherwise, our action will be limited to genocide only after it has taken place.

Here, Gregory Stanton links the 8 Stages of Genocide with Darfur:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B70d22Z9yago

______________________
Works Cited:

Armeniapedia. "Armenian Genocide Quotes," The Armenia Encyclopedia. .

Astourian, Stephan. "The Armenian Genocide: An Interpretation," The History Teacher 23.2 (Feb., 1990).

Bloxham, Donald. "The Armenian Genocide of 1915-1916: Cumulative Radicalization and the Development of a Destruction Policy," Past and Present No. 181 (Nov., 2003).

Dadian, Vahakn N. "The Naim-Andonian Documents on the World War I Destruction of Ottoman Armenians: The Anatomy of a Genocide," International Journal of Middle East Studies 18.3 (Aug., 1986).

Dyer, Gwynne. "Turkish 'Falsifiers' and Armenian 'Deceivers': Historiography and the Armenian Massacres," Middle Eastern Studies 12.1 (1976).

Hartmann, Dieter D. "Anti-Semitism and the Appeal of Nazism," Political Psychology 5.4 (Dec., 1984).

Hinton, Alexander Laban. "Why Did You Kill? The Cambodian Genocide and the Dark Side of Face and Honor," The Journal of Asian Studies 57.1 (Feb., 1998).

Melson, Robert. Paradigms of Genocide: The Holocaust, the Armenian Genocide, and Contemporary Mass Destructions," Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science Vol. 548 (Nov., 1996).
Merriman, John. A History of Modern Europe: From the French Revolution to the Present. 2nd Ed. (New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2004).

Noakes, Jeremy. "Leaders of the People? The Nazi Party and German Society," Journal of Contemporary History 39.2 (Apr., 2007).

Schulman, Faye. A Partisan's Memoir: Women of the Holocaust. (Toronto: Second Story Press, 1995).

Shivakumar, M.S. "Pol Pot: Death Deprives Justice," Economic and Political Weekly 33.17(Apr. 25 - May 1, 1998).

Stanton, Gregory H. "The 8 Stages of Genocide," Genocide Watch: The International Campaign to End Genocide (1998) .

Staub, Ervin. "Genocide and Mass Killing: Origins, Prevention, Healing, and Reconciliation," Political Psychology 21.2 (Jun., 2000).

Yelland, Linda M., and William F. Stone. "Belief in the Holocaust: Effects of Personality and Propaganda," Political Psychology 17.3 (Sep., 1996).

Background on the Ottoman Empire

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The Ottoman Empire was founded in 12991, created from the collapse of the Byzantine Empire. The beginning of the empire was marked by the fall of Constantinople at the hand of Osman the 1st. The empire progressed and finally reached its peak at the reign of Soliman the 1st. The Ottoman Empire became a traditional ally of the French against the Hapsburg (Austria) until the Hapsburg victory at Vienne in 1683. This defeat marked the decline of the empire with numerous territorial losses2.

The Ottoman Empire is to date the largest and most diverse empire ever to have been created. Once considered the most dangerous threat to the rest of Europe, the Ottoman Empire soon became a secondary power. By the late 18th century, it was given the nickname ''The sick man of Europe,'' a title that described the Empire’s desperate efforts to maintain control over its vast territories despite its gradual and inevitable declination. In a hope to regain some power and prevent further losses, numerous reforms were made in the 18th century by the Sultan. These reforms were also made in answer of foreign pressures to improve the fare of minorities in the empire. These reforms are also known as the Tanzimat which eventually led to the Armenian genocide and the fall of the empire.

Tanzimat signifies reorganization. These reforms took place from 1839 to 1876 and the Sultan imported many bureaucrats from other countries to establish foreign practices that were seen as benefitial for the empire. Universal conscription, a teaching reform, the elimination of corruption and equality to all despite their religion were all objectives of the reform3. These reforms were largely successful on a short term basis but eventually disastrous. A constitution was eventually drafted by 30 bureaucrats, 3 of which were Christian4. A parliament also took form and these last reforms would severely restrain the influence and power of the Sultan. This pushed the Sultan to disband the newly formed parliament and reject the constitution5. Thus after three decades of reform, the Sultan suddenly tried to reverse the process but the damage was done.

For thirty years, the young Ottoman generation was being taught by a new education system. The army was also instructed to a new tradition which drastically changed their mentality. For these new Turks this meant a rejection of the old: a sense of superiority over them and their tradition which they saw as anachronistic and misguided. This is what lead to the Young Turk revolution6.

At first the Young Turks was a secret society inspired from French Masonites. It was constituted mostly of intellectuals and military officers (notably Atatürk7) but the movement soon became a political entity. The Sultan tried but was unable to get rid of the movement. Every military troop he sent refused to kill members of the movement or imprison them. Since there were only 300 hundred revolutionaries, they didn't seem like much of a threat. In 1908, after this remarkable failure, the Sultan backed down and reinstated the constitution and parliament. As a sign of reconciliation Enver Pasha, later part of the government responsible for the Armenian genocide, announced the renewed constitution.

The Republic of Turkey After the Genocide

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Atatürk was a tremendously popular figure in Turkey and is considered the founding father of the modern Republic of Turkey. He was the only commander to win any battle in a long succession of defeats during the Balkan wars and the First Great War1. Atatürk was well educated in the French enlightenment but he did not agree with all the principles of Liberalism. He fought hard for his people and the independence of his nation.

During his revolution he united the country against all foreigners and forced a new peace treaty with Allied powers that was more beneficial for Turkey then the Treaty of Sèvres. He stopped persecutions against all minorities, not necessarily because of any high ideals, but to get better diplomatic relations with the English. But Atatürk also refused to recognize minorities for political reasons: after the First Great War it was assumed that each ethnic group deserved a country and he was afraid that foreign would use that as an excuse to divide Turkey further. His concerns were mostly pragmatic in nature: stopping the persecutions was not a popular move but he had enough political credit to force the issue. To fix the problem with Greece he forced the deportation of nearly a million Greeks and half a million Turks to create two homogeneous countries2.

His reign, while technically democratic, was totalitarian. His was the only political party allowed. He even created an opposition which he also presided3 over but eventually gave up the idea. He forced Turkish society to become secular and to modernize itself in every way he could think of. He prevented the return of various territories to other countries by his actions. Namely part of Greece, but also of Armenia. His reforms were numerous and deserve a separate amount of research but they created the groundwork for a modern Muslim society. Atatürk's opinion on the genocide is unclear: we know he opposed religious fanaticism but he also encouraged nationalism and often spoke in racist terms4. Yet his pragmatic nature and his admiration of foreign powers like Britain or France make him hard to pin down as simply racist. He spoke with the language of the time and viewed everything as race relations. When his troops massacred civilians he was disappointed with them5: he saw such acts as beneath them and as signs of bad discipline. It can be said that his admiration for foreign powers made him want to emulate them.

Armenia After the Genocide

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After 1916, a great deal of Armenians had been deported and displaced. The ones who remained never got real independent status but instead became part of the Soviet Union in 1922.1 And so it remained until the dissolve of the Soviet Union. After the establishment of the Republic of Turkey, the Triumvirate were tried and found guilty however not many more efforts were made to record or remember the genocide on the part of the Turks. In addition to that, the estimated 70,0002 Armenians living in Turkey have not been able to speak of the genocide or attempt to have Turkey recognize its occurrence. In 2005, a new clause was added to the Turkish penal code3 -which among other freedom of speech suppressions- criminalizes talks of genocide.

This is not the case however for the Armenians living outside of Turkey and Armenia. The most active community of immigrant Armenians are found in the United States and they persistently push for global recognition of the Armenian genocide. In addition, they provide the majority of the information that can be found on the internet in terms of photos, documentaries, articles, basic information for anyone interested as well as good research material.

Unfortunately, the period after the genocide has also seen the rise of some violent organizations that are considered terrorist by some states. Most notably the ASALA, the ARA and the JCAG have taken the lead in organizing the assassination of some Turkish diplomats.

Today, Armenia is a small state with a population of slightly less than three million citizens. However, Armenians from all over the world continue to identify with the nation and visit it frequently. In addition, Armenians and non-Armenians relentlessly continue to fight for a long-overdue recognition.

Extra Links and Photographs

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Here Are Some Great Links for Resources and Information:

www.firstgenocide.org

www.armeniangenocide.org

www.n.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armenian_Genocide

www.genocide1915.info

www.armeniapedia.org

www.gendale.edu/marashlian/webs/congressLM.com

www.greek-genocide.org

www.hairenik.com

www.atour.com

http://www.armenica.org/
http://www.armeniangenocideposters.org/index2008.html

http://www.sen.parl.gc.ca/sjoyal/e/debates/un_decleration_of_human_rights.html

http://genocide.am/?view=article&aID=3&l=e

http://www.sen.parl.gc.ca/sjoyal/e/debates/un_decleration_of_human_rights.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/09/AR2007100902347.html?hpid=topnews

http://groong.usc.edu/ro/ro-20010415.html

http://www.armembassycanada.ca/News/genocide_Emb.html

http://www.unitedhumanrights.org/Genocide/armenian_genocide.ht

http://www.never-again.com/genocide_history.php

http://www.armenian-genocide.org/br-12-26-16-text.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4478919.stm

http://www.armeniadiaspora.com/ADC/news.asp?id=1720

http://internationalaffairs.suite101.com/article.cfm/armenian_genocide

Petition Link

2008-11-29T19:45:00.000-08:00

In order to help Armenian People gain recognition please sign the petition: http://www.genocide1915.info/petition/, which reads as follows:

I would like to ask a very simple, ordinary question.

Would you wish to be an Armenian in 1915?

No, you wouldn't.

Because now you know you would have been killed.

Please stop arguing about the number of murdered or the denials or the attempts to replace pain with statistics.

No one is denying that Armenians were murdered, right?

It may be 300,000, or 500,000, or 1.5 million.

I don't know which number is the truth, or whether anyone knows the true number accurately.

What I do know is the existence of the death and pain beyond these numbers.

I am also aware how we forget that we are talking about human beings when we are passionately debating the numbers.

Those numbers cannot describe the murdered babies, women, the elderly, the teenage boys and girls.

If we leave the numbers aside, and if we allow ourselves to hear the story of only one of these murders, I am sure that even those of us who get enraged when they hear the words "Armenian Genocide" will feel the pain, will have tears in their eyes.

Because they will realize that we are talking about human beings.

When we hear about a baby pulled from a mother's hands to be dashed on the rocks, or a youth shot to death beside a hill, or an old woman throttled by her slender neck, even the hard-hearted among us will be ashamed to say, "Yes, but these people killed the Turks."

Most of these people did not kill anyone.

These people became the innocent victims of a crazed government powered by murder, pitiless but also totally incompetent in governing.

This bloody insanity was a barbarism, not something for us to take pride in or be part of.

This was a slaughter that we should be ashamed of, and, if possible, something that we can sympathize with and share the pain.

I understand that the word "genocide" has a damningly critical meaning, based on the relentless insistence of the Armenians' "Accept the Genocide" argument, or the Turks' "No, it was not a genocide" counterargument, even though the Turks accept the death of hundreds of thousands of Armenians.

And yet, this word is not that important for me, even though it has significance in politics and diplomacy.

What is more important for me is the fact that many innocent people were killed so barbarically.

When I see the shadow of this bloody event on the present world, I see a greater injustice done to the Armenians.

Our crime today is not to allow the present Armenians even to grieve for their cruelly killed relatives and parents.

Which Armenian living in Turkey today can openly grieve and commemorate a murdered grandmother, grandfather or uncle?

I have nothing in common with the terrible sin of the past Ittihadists, but the sin of not allowing grief for the dead belongs to all of us today.

Do you really want to commit this sin?

Is there anyone among us who would not shed tears for a family attacked at home in the middle of the night, or for a little girl left all alone in the desert during the nightmare called "deportation," or for a white-bearded grandfather shot?

Whether you call it genocide or not, hundreds of thousands of human beings were murdered.

Hundreds of thousands of lives snuffed out.

The fact that some Armenian gangs murdered some Turks cannot be an excuse to mask the truth that hundreds of thousands of Armenians were murdered.

A human being of conscience is capable of grieving for the Armenians, as well as the Turks, as well as the Kurds.

We all should.

Babies died; women and old people died.

They died in pain, tormented, terrified.

Is it really so important what religion or race these murdered people had?

Even in these terrifying times there were Turks who risked their lives trying to rescue Armenian children.

We are the children of these rescuers, as well as the children of the murderers.

Instead of justifying and arguing on behalf of the murderers, why don't we praise and defend the rescuers' compassion, honesty, and courage?

There are no more victims left to be rescued today, but there is a grief, a pain, to be shared and supported.

What's the use of a bloody, warmongering dance around a deep pain?

Forget the numbers, forget the Armenians, forget the Turks, just think of the babies, teenagers, and old people with necks broken, bellies slashed, bodies mutilated. Think about these people, one by one.

If nothing moves in you when you hear a baby wail as her mother is murdered, I have nothing to say to you.

Then add my name to the list of "traitors."

Because I am ready to share the grief and pain with the Armenians.

Because I still believe there is something yet to be rescued from all these meaningless and pitiless arguments, and that something is called "humanity."

Retrieved from "http://www.armeniapedia.org/index.php?title=Would_you_wish_to_be_an_Armenian_in_1915%3F"

Works Cited

2008-11-28T08:40:00.000-08:00

· "Turkey: Article 301 is a threat to freedom of expression and must be repealed now!" Amnesty International. http://www.amnestyusa.org/document.php?lang=e&id=ENGEUR 440352005

· Gunter, Michael M. "Armenian Terrorism in the 20th Century." Armenian Reality. http://www.armenianreality.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=10&Itemid=15

· "Ambassador Morgenthau's Story." Armenian Genocide Debate. http://www.armenian genocidedebate.com/ambassador-morgenthau-story

· " Armenian Genocide." Armeniapedia. http://www.armeniapedia.org/index.p hp?title=Armenian_Genocide

· "Turkey, Republic of, and the Armenian Genocide."ANI. http://www.armenian-genocide.org/turkey.html

· "Morgenthau, Ambassador Henry Sr." ANI. http://www.armenian-genocide.org/morgenthau.html

· Morgenthau, Henry. " Ambassador Morgenthau's Story." http://net.lib.byu.edu/estu/w wi/comment/morgenthau/MorgenTC.htm

· "The Other Side of the Falsified Genocide." Tall Armenian Tale. http://www.tallarmen iantale.com/morgenthau.htm

· "Documentary of the Armenian Genocide." Our Ararat. http://www.ourararat.com/eng /e_pic.htm

· " Genocide Pictures." Geocities. http://www.geocities.com/thegenocides/phot os/photos1.htm

· Torosyan, Apo."Voices." Youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DS n44sDnY5Y&feature=related

· ´´ Treaties of Sevres and Lausanne.´´All about Turkey. http://www.allaboutturkey.com/ antlasma.htm

· ´´The Recognition and Condemnation of the Armenian Genocide.´´ Genocide.am. http://genoci de.am/?view=article&aID=3&l=e

· ´´Image: Armenian Diaspora.´´ Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:ArmenianDiasp ora.png

· Antelava, Natalia. ´´Armenians remember mass killings.´´ the bbc. http://news.bbc.co.uk/ 2/hi/europe/4478919.stm
· the struggle for genocide recognition: the next steps, armenian news network http://groong.usc.edu/ro/ro-20010415

· Abrahamian, Line. ´´My Journey from Hate to Hope.´´ Reader´s Digest. http://www.readersdi gest.ca/mag/2006/ 10/hate_to_hope.php

· ´´Genocide Recognition More for Benefit of Turkey than Armenia.´´ Armenian Embassy in Canada. http://www.armembassycanada.ca/News/genocide_Emb.html

· ´´Confronting Denial.´´ Armenia: the survival of a nation. http://www.armenia-survival.50megs.com/Survival_Ch_10.htm